Memory Book
by Angel of Hell 13
Summary: Epilogue is up. Sydney and Michael met when they were 14. Completely AU!
1. These Are My Thoughts

A/N – Very long wait. I know and thank you for waiting, not that you had a choice. I hope that this version is better. I'm in the process of Chapter three and actually have two pages written.

Anything in between the dashes _– right here – means that Sydney wrote in her book._

Remember: This is AU… Sydney and Vaughn are both 14 and are both in 9th grade (for now) 

_            -These are my thoughts. Things I want to remember. Things that I want to know. Just… things. I can remember everything back to when I was eight. That was when my mom died. Then I can only remember certain things like, birthdays, parties and fun times. After my mom died, my father sorta tuned down on the father thing. He was always away on business and when he wasn't he'd be talking on the phone or working on papers._

_            He wasn't that bad. It's not like he forgot when it was my birthday, or when it was Christmas. Some of the best presents I got were from him. He never missed one._

_            But at times I'd love if he'd help me with my schoolwork. I know I could sure use it. Math, Science and French are going down, down, down hill._

_            I'm sure all kids hate their dads at some point… mine are just more often.-_

            Sydney put her pen down and looked over to Francie. Francie, her best friend, shifted slightly. Even though Sydney loved the library, Francie would rather be in a place that had noise.

            France fingered the lunch room's "library pass" as she held onto the book Great Expectations in the other hand. A very boring book that everyone had to read in ninth grade. Luckily, Sydney had been advanced in English and had read it last year.

            "Francie?" Sydney closed her notebook and turned o her friend.

            "Syd, I gotta get through this chapter by next period or else I'm in deep shit." Francie didn't turn her head from the book.

            "Francie, it's called 'home' work. As in _home." Sydney laughed softly so she wouldn't disturb anyone._

            "God, I hate this book." Francie closed it and slammed it on the table, smiling apologetically to the librarian. Francie then turned in her seat to face Sydney. "Does Pip ever find out who's giving all this money to him?"

            Sydney smiled. "Haven't you guessed?" Standing up, Sydney pulled her books into her arms and left the library with Francie at her side.

            "Miss. Havisham?" Francie asked as they walked to their lockers. Sydney smiled more and shook her head. "Mr. Jaggers?"

            "No." Sydney stated as she turned the dial on her lock. "Think outside the box." They both laughed.

            "Did you know that Kelsey came in wearing a t-shirt that said that yesterday?" Francie smiled and pulled books out of her own locker. "Mrs. Chery was laughing so hard…"

            "She's always saying that damn phrase." Sydney and Francie kept talking as the bell rang and people crowded into the hallway. 

            _-As much as I loved being with friends and seeing all my teachers who were so nice, I didn't like school. The idea of having to walk around and be taught is not appealing to me. I love to learn new things… but I don't always like being taught.-_

            Sydney waved as Francie went towards her English class and Sydney headed for Math. Suddenly she slammed into someone and her books fell, and so did his.

            "Oh, God. Sorry, I was trying to find my way around…" The boy bent down and picked up her books, luckily the rest of the students had already gone to their classes. There were still some, but they weren't paying attention.

            "It's okay, I wasn't looking either." Sydney bent down and started to pick up her books and handed him his.

            He's what Francie would have called 'red'. They had code words for a guy's appearance. 'Red' just happened to stand for 'red hot'. 

            Tousled dark blonde hair that fell into his eyes a bit. Those eyes… the green sorta burned into you. His clothing was a normal teenagers clothing. Black jeans and a t-shirt that had Linkin Park written on it.

            "You like Linkin Park?" Sydney said as she read the words off his shirt. It was the lyrics to Papercut.

            "Yeah, they're the best." The boy faded off and looked at her. "Oh, I'm Michael Vaughn." Michael smiled softly. Another 'red' reason.

            "I'm Sydney Bristow." Sydney looked him up and down quickly, not noticing that he was doing the same. "Crap, I better get to class. What room are you looking for?" Sydney pushed a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.

            "Um…" Michael looked down at a piece of paper and read off the row. "Period seven… lunch… cafeteria A." 

            "Oh, the cafeteria is right down this hall, take a right and go down the stairs. You'll hear a lot of noise and see a lot of teens." Sydney smiled and held her books tighter.

            "Thanks, Sydney." Michael started to walk away. "I'll see you again." He sounded sure of himself as he walked down the hall.

            "You better believe it." Sydney watched him walk away. Loudly, the bell for class to start rang. Looking up, Sydney muttered. "Shit." As she started to race down the hallway.

            _-You gotta admit, guys are hard to find even when you're looking. I'm 14 years old and in my life I've had no boyfriends. Francie has had one boyfriend and she even said that it wasn't that great…but Michael? Now where are the cons in that?_

_            I've had my share of crushes… and I've even known people who have had crushes on me, but it never lasts long enough. They're just crushes.-_

            "Sydney! Dinner!" Theresa called from the kitchen.

            "I'm coming!" Sydney called back. Theresa was Sydney's 'nanny'. She never really did anything besides cook. And her cooking wasn't all that good. Sydney hated her.

            "Where's dad?" Sydney asked as she walked into the kitchen. Smelling the food, she cringed slightly as she sat down.

            "He has to work late." Theresa told her. Same thing over and over again.

            "Again?" Sydney complained. Her father was always at work. Sydney muttered. "What kinda bull is that?"

            "Watch your mouth." Theresa sat down across from her.

            "What? All I said was 'bull', as in male cow." Sydney said. It was easy to be a smart ass around Theresa. Eating silently, Sydney's mind started to wander. It wandered to school, her friends, parties, dances… and then to Michael. "I'm done." Sydney stated. She cleaned off her plate, threw it in the dishwasher and headed to her room.

            A few minutes later, Theresa called from the living room. "Sydney! Francie is on the phone!"

            Sydney had been lying on her bed, so she rolled onto her stomach and reached for her phone. "Francie?"

            "Hey, you would not believe the new guy." Francie was going to say something else, but Sydney cut her off.

            "Yes I would… Michael Vaughn…" Sydney's voice trailed.

            "Yeah, I haven't met him though, but I heard that he's cute." Sydney could tell Francie was smiling and laughing on the other end.

            "Oh, he is… 'red' Francie." Sydney laughed as Francie gave a gasp. "I mean, I only talked to him for a minute, but he seems sweet and he is very cute."

            They gossiped for another half an hour, until Theresa stood in the doorway, her arms folded over her chest.

            "Francie, I gotta go." Sydney rolled over so Theresa wouldn't here. "The Dot is back." She listened to Francie laugh and then hung up the phone.

            The Dot was name that Francie had made up for Theresa. One day Theresa had worn a red polka dotted dress. Francie had been over that day and when she and Sydney had escaped to her room, they burst out laughing and Francie laughed out. "Oh no, attack of The Dot." And the name stuck.

_            -The Dot… how can I describe her… she acts as if she doesn't want to be here, which I'm sure she doesn't. I don't understand why dad even hired her, or why he doesn't fire her. I stay home alone all the time when she can't come here and he's at work. I've even stayed alone for two days, and nights when she was sick and dad was away. I hate her._

_            My mom was so much better. She died when I was eight in a car crash. All I know is that mom and dad were on their way home from the movies and a car swerved and crashed into them. Both cars went off the bridge and into the water. Dad was lucky to get his seatbelt undone, but he couldn't get to mom.-_

            Sydney and Francie sat in their Earth Science class, both of them stared at the clock, waiting for the second hand to get to the twelve.

            When the bell rang, they raced out of there.

            "We really need to study for next weeks test." Francie threw all her books in her locker. They had gym next, so they didn't need books.

            "Damn it, my locker won't open." Sydney pulled on her locker hard. Turning the dial, she tried the combination again, but it wouldn't budge.

            "Here, let me try." Francie spun it and pulled, nothing. "Crap, where'd you get this thing…" Francie tried again. Nothing again.

            Sydney spun it one more time. Carefully she turned it right until she landed on the 15, then she turned it to the left twice and stopped on 5. Slowly she turned the dial right to the 20. She crossed her other hands fingers and pulled. It popped open nicely.

            "You can't be serious that you will have to do that every time that damn thing doesn't open." Francie complained as Sydney threw her books in her locker. "Get a new one."

            "No." Sydney stated as she closed the lock. "Come on, we still have to get changed for Gym."

            _-Francie and I have been best friends since fourth grade. People say that friends become friends because of their common likes. Well, with me and Francie, we met because of our differences. She needed help in English, writing essays, and I needed help with Math. I'm good at English, she's great at Math. Yes, we do have a lot of things in common. We both love boys and love to go to the mall and look at them ::laughing right now::, we both have fun with her older brother David, I'll get to him later, and we both have a lot of classes together and hate them all.-_

            Sydney and Francie were talking and laughing as they entered the gym.

            "Everyone, sit on the bleachers so we can take attendance!" Mr. Nac called out, but Sydney and Francie had already sat in their spots.

            Attendance was taken quickly, but the two teachers, Mr. Nac and Mr. Santos, seemed to be waiting for something.

            Finally, the door to the gym opened and Michael walked in. "Sorry, I kinda got lost." He smiled shyly as he handed a piece of paper to Mr. Santos.

            "Ok, you're in Mr. Nac's class, that side." Mr. Santos pointed to near where Sydney was sitting. Sydney and Francie were also in Mr. Nac's class.

            "Syd." Michael smiled and sat down next to her, on her right side.

            Francie, who was on her left, looked Michael over. "So, you're Michael… the new kid?"

            "Yeah, hi." Michael smiled at Francie.

            "Guys, were gonna get into a boys against girls game." Mr. Nac told the two classes. "I want all guys on the right end of the gym and all girls on the left."

            Sydney smiled at Michael as she and Francie headed to the left. "Good luck." She whispered.

            "I don't need it." Michael smiled at her and she saw a twinkle in his eyes.

            Laughing, Sydney followed Francie.

            A few minutes later, the two teams were playing. There were two more guys then girls, so Mr. Santos was playing on the girl's team.

            "Sydney, over here!" Francie jumped up and down, she was only open because no one bothered to block her. Francie had always admitted at being terrible at sports, but that also gave her an advantage to get the ball down the court… even if it was just by throwing and catching which is what she was good at.

            Sydney threw the ball the Francie, who caught it and quickly threw it to the nearest girl, which resulted in a score for the girls. 2 – 1 in favor of the girls.

            After the ball got thrown into the game, Sydney stood there for a minute, just watching. "A little competitive aren't they?" Sydney jumped when someone talked to her. She heard a guy laughing so she spun around and hit him on the shoulder.

            "You freaked me out." Sydney laughed as Michael dodged another hit.

            ­_-I don't love sports, but they seem to take my mind off anything that would be bothering me. Even if something isn't bothering me, they're still fun. Even better when you have someone with you, playing and having fun.-_

_            During the middle of the basketball game Sydney and Michael had ended up next to each other again, but this time they were both going for the ball that had been thrown._

            Sydney stopped and was gonna let him have the ball, but he tripped on his shoelace and they both fell down, Michael on top of Sydney.

            Laughing hysterically, they almost didn't hear Mr. Santos ask if they were okay. Michael helped Sydney up, but she clung to his shoulder.

            "My ankle hurts." Sydney put her weight on it, but it stung a little. "I think it hit a little too hard." She put her hand on Michael's shoulder as she tried to walk.

            "Maybe you  should go to the nurse and put ice on it." Michael suggested as they walked toward Mr. Nac.

            "Going to the nurse, Syd?" Mr. Nac smiled and opened the door as Michael led Sydney out. "Second time this week and it's only Wednesday."

            Michael laughed when they got a little farther from the gym. "You get hurt a lot?" She was leaning on him, with her hand still on his shoulder.

            "Hey, I'm good at sports, I just… I'm a spaz." Sydney and Michael laughed as she limped slightly down the hall.

            "You're not a spaz… you just gotta be careful." Michael put his arm around her, to hold her up.

            "Thanks." Sydney smiled at him softly.

            He smiled back. "It's my pleasure…." He trailed off and smiled at her. "Sorry about the ankle."

            "It's okay." Sydney laughed and leaned on him more. "I'm glad I got out of gym."

            "Yeah… I guess…" Michael laughed as they entered the nurse's office.

            "Hello Sydney." Mrs. Strauss smiled sweetly at them. "What happened today?"

            "Basketball…" Sydney answered her and sat on one of the chairs. The bell rang just then, but Michael could be late for Science. He was a whiz in it already.

            "Basketball? What sprained your ankle?" Mrs. Strauss went to the back and took out an ice pack and handed it to Sydney.

            "I sorta did." Michael admitted shyly. "We were both running for the ball and we sorta fell."

            "Oh…" She nodded and looked at the clock. "Well, shouldn't you get to class?"

            "Oh… yeah." Michael nodded, but then looked down. "I'm still in my gym clothes."

            "Just go to Mr. Nac or Mr. Santos and they'll unlock the locker room for you." Before Michael could leave, Sydney called. "Hey, could you do me a favor?"

            "Sure…" Michael stood in the doorway, waiting.

            "Ask one of them or a girl to get my clothes… I left my lock open." Sydney smiled at him and he melted.

            "Sure…"

            At the end of the day, Michael met Sydney at her locker. Slinging her backpack over his own shoulder, he held the two books he needed himself.

            He walked her home that day.

A/N – The authors note that I was going to put here is in chapter two… lol… go read it and then read the A/N


	2. Birthdays to Christmas

            _-Michael and I are now good friends. Today is his birthday, 'happy birthday to Michael!' ::laughing:: I just got back from his house. His mom is really nice, she and I made a cake for him… she reminds me of my mom. His little sister Jackie is a little annoying, but what sibling isn't. I'm sure Michael annoys her at times too._

_            Michael and I have grown closer to the extent that he and I tell each other anything. He told me that his father died when he was six. His dad was in the CIA and a mission had gone wrong. I would've hated to lose a parent like that…_

_            Me and Michael have been hanging out a lot lately… his mom gave him hockey tickets for his birthday and there were two of them. She told him to bring a friend and she'd drive them. He chose me. ::I'm smiling right now::_

_            "Hey Syd!" Michael called through the hallway. Making his way over to her locker, Michael pulled out a note from a teacher._

            "Ok, so Mrs. Chery wants me to help you with your essay writing… and…" Sydney trailed off and pointed to the note he was holding.

            "Oh." Michael jumped and looked down, reading. "Mr. Cook wants me to help you with Science and Math. And I decided that since were already doing that, then I should also help with French."

            "Cool, nothing better then a French tutor teaching French." Sydney smiled as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. "We can go to my house… my dad is away on business and Theresa doesn't care."

            Michael smiled as he took her hand and they both left the school grounds. 

            _-Math, Science and French are my three worst subjects. I don't understand, cause I study and I work hard… but I need to have fun once and a while and not study. Well, that doesn't matter. Me and Michael are working on it. Since he's French and can speak it fluently it won't be that hard to study.-_

            "D'où êtes-vous?" 'Where are you from?' Michael asked slowly and carefully. 

            "Je suis américain." 'I am American." Sydney smiled as she remembered the answer.  They were sitting on the floor with their books between them. Two French textbooks were open. One towards Sydney, one towards Michael.

            "Good… how about…" Michael flipped through the text book and smiled. "Vous aiment l'hockey?" 'Do you like hockey?'

            "Pas autant que vous." 'Not as much as you.' Sydney smiled and leaned a little closer.

            Michael smiled and nodded, thinking about his next statement. "Vous avez les yeux les plus beaux que j'ai jamais vus."

            "I don't know what that means, but I like the sound of it." Sydney smiled and closed her book, moving closer and looking at his upside down one. They were almost touching.

            "Vous êtes un ange dans le déguisement. Je ne sais pas ce que je ferais sans vous." Michael whispered as Sydney looked up to face him.

            "Translate it for me…" Sydney whispered as she leaned closer.

            "Do I really have to?" Michael said right before she kissed him.

            They stayed like that for a minute. Just kissing like there were nothing more normal for them.

            "Sydney." Theresa called as she opened the door to Sydney's room.

            Sydney scrambled up and sat on her bed as Michael leaned back to lean on it. "What, Theresa?" Sydney asked when she gained her breath again, making sure Theresa didn't notice.

            "Dinner…" Theresa said as if it should be obvious. "Are you staying?" She eyed Michael like a hawk.

            "No, I gotta get going." Michael grabbed his jacket and his backpack and turned to Sydney. "I'll see you in Gym tomorrow." He hurried out the door as quickly as Sydney had hurried to catch her breath.

            "What's going on?" Theresa eyed Sydney, just staring and waiting.

            "Nothing, I just… nothing… I'll be right there." Sydney stood up and shut her door. Going to the floor, she opened her French textbook again and looked up what Michael had said, even if she had to look up each word.

            "Let's see…" Sydney wrote down the last word to the first sentence. "Vous avez les yeux les plus beaux que j'ai jamais vus. And that would mean…. You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." Sydney stared at the page for a minute and then went on to the next phrase. "Vous êtes un ange dans le déguisement. Je ne sais pas ce que je ferais sans vous. And last but not least that means… You are an angel in disguise; I don't know what I'd do without you."

            Sydney looked up quickly and stared at one of the pictures of Michael and her. It was at a picnic Michael's mom's work had held. His arm was around her shoulders and they were laughing. The green of his eyes had shone brightly each time he looked at her that day…

            _-We kissed. It sounds so weird to say that we kissed. Were like… well, were not like brother and sister… were best friends! I mean, yeah, since the first day I met him, I wanted to kiss him. And that French! God, he's even sweet when I can't understand him. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I get to school. I don't know if I want to ruin our friendship just so I can date him. Yeah, we'll still be friends, but what happens if we break up… then Francie will still be friends with him, but I could never hang out with him again.-_

_            The next day during first period Earth Science, after telling Francie what he'd said and what had happened, Sydney started to think of what'd she say to Michael during gym._

            She looked up just in time to see a boy walk into the classroom.

            The teacher, Mr. Kenny, looked at the boy and took the paper that he had held out. "Okay, this is Will…" Mr. Kenny looked at the last name closely.

            "Tippin." Will stated clearly and confident.

            "Right, yes." Mr. Kenny waved over to Francie. "Take a seat next to Francie over there. You'll be partners with Francie and Sydney."

            Francie waved him over and Will sat down next to Francie.

            "I'm Francie as you've heard from the Suit." Francie smiled as Sydney made sure Mr. Kenny was out of hearing range.

            "You must be Sydney." Will nodded to her and she nodded.

            "And you're Will." Sydney smiled as Francie laughed.

            "What other classes do you have?" Francie asked as Will took out his schedule. After he handed it over, Francie inspected it carefully. "Let's see… you have Lab with us, but that's only on Even days. You have Italian with me… Lunch with both of us and Gym with both of us." Francie handed it back.

            "Cool." Will smiled at Francie and then to Sydney.

            Sydney got a strange feeling when he smiled at her… 

            _-Will is… nice. He's pretty cute and he's kind. But he's got this thing about asking questions all the time. I was talking to Francie about how David wanted to start a band and have me sing, and he asked who David was. I was talking to our friend Kelsey and we were talking about the dance that had been on Friday and he's like "dance?". There are more and more to come, I know, but it will get annoying… but Will is cool to hang out with. He's fun to talk to. We were all joking around in lunch and he complained about Global Studies to us and how the teacher was such an ass. I'm gonna like having him around.-_

_            Gym came quickly that day, and since Will had just gotten his schedule that day, he didn't have any clothes to change into; he'd have to play in his jeans._

            "Sydney!" Will called as Sydney and Francie walked into the gym. They waved him over to their spots and sat down quickly.

            Francie looked at Will nervously though and leaned over to Sydney, whispering. "Here he comes, Syd. You ready?" And she leaned back up.

            Sydney looked at Francie with a worried expression.

            "Hey guys." Michael smiled softly to Francie and nervously to Sydney.

            "Hey, Michael, this is Will Tippin, he's the new new kid." Francie smiled and put a hand on Will's shoulder. "Michael is the old new kid." She explained to Will.

            "Yeah, you're in my English class right?" Will asked him. "Fourth period?"

            "Yeah." Michael nodded and looked at Sydney. "Can I… talk to you?"

            "Sure…" Sydney's voice trailed and as she stood up, she looked to Francie nervously, making sure Will and Michael didn't see.

            "What's up?" Sydney said when they were out of hearing range of Will, Francie and the rest of the class.

            Michael sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yesterday…" Michael started, but he didn't know what he wanted to say. Should he say it was a mistake and that they should just be friends. Or should he confess and say that he'd wanted that to happen ever since they bumped into each other on his first day.

            Michael smiled softly and looked up at her. "Honestly I don't know what I was going to say…"

            Sydney smiled and laughed quietly. Suddenly she got a little serious. "Listen, I want to be your friend, Mike. I want to be able to talk to you and to listen and to hang out… I don't know if I could do that if…"

            "I get it." Michael interrupted. He seemed a little frustrated and confused, but before Sydney could say anything else, the teachers decided to start class.

            _-I could just scream right now! I didn't want that to happen, cause now I don't think we can be normal. You don't kiss someone and then say you want their friendship only.-_

_            Two weeks passed, Christmas Day was a beautiful day, with sun._

            Will, Francie, Sydney and Michael were the youngest at a Christmas party Sydney's father had thrown.

            "I swear, he does these things, just to prove that he's normal." Sydney muttered so that only her three friends could hear.

            "I'm gonna go get some sodas, you guys want any?" Will asked as he stood up.

            "You want any help?" Michael asked, ready to help if he was needed. He had warmed up to Will after a couple of days and they were getting along fine… for now.

            "No." Will shook his head and left into the kitchen, squeezing past the adults in his way.

            "He's not gonna make it." Sydney laughed and followed after him.

            After Sydney disappeared into the kitchen, Francie turned to Michael and snapped. "What's wrong with you?"

            Michael jumped slightly, surprised at the sharpness of Francie's tone. "Excuse me?"

            "I asked what was wrong with you?" Francie repeated. "Only someone who has severe head trauma (and I'm not ruling that out) would give up on getting Sydney." Francie looked at him, with a kind of look that said 'well!'.

            "She doesn't want me." Michael sighed when he registered everything.

            "Did someone drop you on your head when you were little?" Francie argued. "Of course she wants you. She just wants your friendship too." She was right of course. He already knew Sydney still wanted to be friends.

            "Well then, tell me what I'm supposed to do." Michael leaned back on the couch so that he was slouching.

            "Well, for one get your ass in that kitchen, pull her aside and tell her you want to be more then _just friends." Francie put emphasis on the 'just' part. "I know Sydney well enough to know that she won't __always make the first move. You have to this time…"_

            But Francie was cut off by Jacks' coworker Gina. "Sydney! You're under the mistletoe."

            Sydney, who had just come out of the kitchen with Will, looked up with a confused expression and saw the small mistletoe that she was under. She looked over to Will and smiled nervously and unwillingly. Will leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. He seemed to know that she didn't want to kiss him.

            Making their way back, Sydney thanked Will in a whisper. He just smiled and handed Francie her soda.

            _-Will knew I didn't want to kiss him. I don't know what else he knows, he could know more then he was letting off, but that's his way of life. I mean, come on, he takes Journalism! I know that Will has a small crush on me, but I would think that he would take any chance he could get. Don't you think?-_

            Will sat next to Michael, while Sydney sat next to Francie.

            "So, what have you two been talking about?" Sydney asked right before she took a sip of her Sprite.

            "Nothing." Francie and Michael said at the same time and way too quickly for comfort.

            "Okay…" Will looked at them surprisingly normally. "Hey, Michael, can I talk to you?" Will nodded his head to the other side of the room, way out of hearing distance.

            "Sure." Michael nodded as they stood up and crossed the room.

            "I just wanted to talk to you about Sydney…" Will started, expecting Michael to cut him off, but he didn't, so Will continued. "Listen, I know she likes you… more then a friend… and I also know that Francie just talked to you about it…"

            "Did you guys plan this or something?" Michael looked over to Francie who was talking to Sydney in a fast pace.

            "Sorta, but that's not the point." Will muttered. He looked Michael in the eye and sighed. "I didn't kiss her cause I know she likes you… and we all know that you like her." Michael sighed and nodded at that. "I just wanted to make sure that were clear… cause I know that if you don't make a move soon Francie is gonna kick your ass." Will and Michael laughed as they made their way back to the girls.

            "See you guys later!" Michael and Sydney called to the other two of their group. They had been called home by their parents, but Michael's mother and sister were actually at the party, so he was just gonna get a ride home.

            "Come on, it's just adults and boring talk, let's go in my room." Sydney took his hand and lead him there.

            Closing the door so that the boring Christmas music was drowned out, Sydney turned and looked at Michael who was sitting on her desk chair, spinning it around and around.

            "You got mistletoe in here too?" Michael laughed as he saw the mistletoe hanging near the door.

            "Theresa made me…" Sydney smiled sheepishly.

            "Oh… attack of the nanny." Michael rolled his eyes as Sydney laughed at him and came over to hit him on the shoulder.

            "Shut up." She sat down on her bed and pulled her legs up and tucked her knees under her chin. "I hate her…"

            "Hmm…" Michael spun in the chair one last time, then rolled it over to sit in front of Sydney. "Why doesn't your dad fire her?" He knew the answer already, but he might as well make small talk.

            "I don't know." Sydney used that to answer a lot of his questions.

            "You use that phrase a lot you know." Michael muttered as leaned back in the chair. For some reason he was just getting frustrated with her.

            "Well, I don't know… I don't know everything, Michael." Sydney put her feet on the floor and put her hands on her knees.

            "I never said you did." He just sat there staring at her, waiting for something else.

            "What is wrong with you?" Sydney narrowed her eyes into a question.

            "I seem to be getting asked that a lot." Michael sighed and looked right into her eyes. The green of his were shining as her brown was deepening.

            "By who?" Sydney was getting a little angry and she didn't know why.

            "By you… by Francie… and I'm sure that if Will had the chance, he would've too." Michael stood up and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna get going, see if mom's ready to leave."

            He made his way to the door, as Sydney was registering about Will and Francie.

            "Michael, wait." She stood up and went to the door, pulling on his arm to turn him around.

            He spun around, frustrated.

            "Look up." Sydney stated.

            "What?" Michael didn't look up.

            Sydney repeated the command. "Look – Up."

            Michael looked up and saw what she was talking about. The mistletoe was right above their heads.

            As he looked back towards Sydney, he felt her hand go on the back of his neck. "Sydney…" He just got her name out before she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him.

            _-I knew that Will and Francie had talked to him. It was pretty obvious by the way they hid what they had talked about. I was just surprised at the frustration we'd both went through to get to that kiss. And the look on his face when he saw the mistletoe. That was priceless…-_

A/N – So… all of you review and answer me this…

Was it worth the wait??

Plus, my birthday is September 12th… reviews are the best presents ::hint hint::


	3. I Love You

A/N – Thank You!! For the Happy birthdays and the reviews. I've had a little writers block, lol. This chapter, most of it I wrote during Science, English, German, Lunch, and then Global Studies on the same day. Let's just say the block was broken. Lol.

I can't wait until Alias next week!!! My other show, Charmed just started the other day, though I can totally admit I hated the fact that my favorite couple just got a divorce. I yelled at the TV ::looks around and blushes::… whatever: enjoy.

            _-I haven't written in a while. Since December I think. God, it's already June… but I remember everything that happened since then. Let's see… New Years was fun. Michael, his mother and his sister were her. Also, Cathy, a friend from work, and Jason, another friend, were over. Michael and I slipped away to my room… I would say it was all__ 'innocent', but that just wouldn't be real, would it? At __midnight__, like most couples, we did kiss, of course. Not like my dad cares… minute I told him I had a boyfriend, he brushed it off as a teenage crush. Yeah right._

_            School is almost done and I'm pretty excited. I never liked school. Tomorrow is the last day… and the last day we have only one exam and that's it. What I don't like is that it's the second languages (which means my French) exam… blah!-_

            Michael smiled as he hurried into the library, which is where the French exam was going to take place. Though he was taking a high course then the others, he was still taking the same test as them.

            Sydney smiled as he entered the room and had taken the seat across from her. Neither of them could wait until this day was over. Summer would be here and they'd have even more fun. Francie and David were going away for the first two weeks, but they'd be back.

            The moment the test was handed out, pretty much everyone fell silent, except for the exceptional trouble maker who would get kicked out soon.

            It had been half an hour (the whole exam would take two hours) when the door opened and Sydney was surprised to see another teacher enter the room and whispered softly to the proctor who was sitting a foot away from her. She caught some of the words:

            'Mother' 'car' 'sister's home' 'Aunt' 'hospital'

            But the most surprising was when the teacher went over to Michael and told him to take his books and come with her. Michael shot Sydney a look of confusion; she just shrugged trying to put all the words together, and Michael.

            Sydney shuddered after they left, and tried to get through the rest of the exam, though with each new question she got even more worried.

            Sydney sighed in relief as the proctor started to collect the papers, and she jumped and ran out of the room when they were allowed to leave.

            "Francie!" Sydney called the minute she got onto the grass in front of the school. Grabbing the bag of her friend, she pulled Francie around. "Michael got taken out of the exam early and I heard something about a hospital and his mom…" She started taking deep breaths.

            "Ok, Sydney, breathe… good, that's good." Francie put her hands on Sydney's shoulders. "Come on, my mom is picking me, David and Will up. We'll drop you off at home, okay?" Sydney nodded as Francie pulled Sydney over to Will who was leaning on the car, waiting for Francie, David and her mom.

            "What's wrong?" Will asked the minute he saw Sydney.

            They explained briefly what happened as Sydney filled in the blank spots.

            "Hello Sydney." Mrs. Calfo smiled as the teens climbed into the car, Sydney in front. "I assume we're dropping you off?" Sydney smiled and nodded slowly trying to think.

            _-Honestly, I don't think I could've thanked Francie enough after that. Also, I thanked her mom also.-_

_            "Thanks!" Sydney called back as she ran into her house. "Theresa! Where's the cordless?" Sydney grabbed the phone from Theresa then collapsed on the couch as she dialed._

            The first ring wasn't even finished when she heard Jackie's voice ask. "Sydney?"

            "Jackie?" Sydney sighed in relief that someone was home. "How'd you know it was me?"

            "Michael told me that—" Jackie got cut off and talking and noise started in the background, then she knew the phone had hit something.

            "Syd?" Michael's voice filled her ear softly.

            "Hey, what happened? Why'd you leave?" Sydney rushed through the questions she had been going over in the car on the way home.

            "My mom—" Michael paused, breathing quickly. "She was in an accident."

            "Oh god, Michael." Sydney gasped into the phone and quickly put a hand to her mouth. After taking a deep breath she took her hand away. "How is she?"

            "She's in the hospital, which is where me and Jackie were just about to go, Aunt Sarah is here… But—" He stopped again, his voice had choked and she could tell through the phone he was sad, hurt.

            "What?" Sydney sat up quickly, trying to think of the fastest way to get to the hospital without asking Theresa.

            "She's not gonna make it." Michael whispered.

            _-Oh god! I just got back from the hospital and the whole time I was just stunned. I had never seen my mother die, and I never thought I'd be there to watch as my boyfriend went through something like that._

_            He didn't cry when I got there, I knew he wanted to though. Hell, at some point I cried and hugged him. His Aunt Sarah just had silent tears, and his Uncle Ben just looked in shock. At some point I remember I whispered to Michael 'how are you', his response: 'fine, peachy, just great'_

_            I hate doctors. I hate the hospital too, but I despise, loathe and personally detest for them. They're lying morons… one minute they come out saying they're trying their best, and they might be able to help her. Then they come out and say 'I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do.' And I cried as I watched her breathing slow, Michael holding my hand tightly, and then her breathing stopped._

_            And his tears fell.-_

_            "Hey." Sydney whispered to Michael who hugged her tightly._

            "Hey." He smiled, his first real smile in a week. "I'm glad you're here."

            "Well, what would summer be without me?" She smiled and kissed him softly. Then she laughed as he tickled her.

            He laughed as well, stopping then looking out the window. "And what would summer be without rain?"

            "I love the rain…" Sydney smiled softly and listened to it.

            "I hate rain." Michael muttered and tickled her again.

            Sydney stopped laughing after a minute and then got serious. "So, what'd Sarah say… are you guys staying?" She held her breath, hoping his answer would be yes. She felt like a little kid waiting to see if her father would say yes to her getting a toy.

            "They haven't decided yet." Michael muttered as he looked toward the kitchen. "They've been 'discussing' it for the past three days. And every time Jackie or me try to talk to them, try to add something, they just say to stay out of it." Michael ran a hand through his hair, muttering something about getting it cut. Then he added to a previous thought. "I hate them so much right now."

            "Me too." Jackie stuck her head into the living room when she heard him say that. She walked into the room and over to Sydney and Michael, who had just sat on the couch. She took a seat on the chair across from them. "They said that if we go to live with them in San Francisco that Donovan can't come with us. But you'd watch him for us Syd, wouldn't you? He's only a puppy." Jackie pleaded, with puppy dog eyes ironically.

            "You know I would." Sydney smiled at the thought of Donovan who jumped on her lap at that moment, but she frowned at the idea of them leaving.

            _-I don't understand what to think about Sarah and Ben right now. They decided. I would just leave it at that, but like I said at the beginning of this book, I wanna remember things and if I don't write them, how can I remember. Of course, there's always memory, but I've got a really bad one._

_            See, I got off track and almost forgot what I was writing about._

_            They decided they are going back to __San Francisco__. My dad and I had an argument about Donovan. His only argument was that since he fired Theresa (forgot to write that) that there's no one to take care of him. I argued that I had no one to take care of me and I was just fine._

_            Let's just say he agreed quickly after that._

_            I don't know what to do. Michael… well, let's go over my love life._

_            Exactly one boyfriend. I meet this guy, this gorgeous, sweet and caring guy. He says something sweet to me in French and we kiss. Of course, we had a falling out because of that kiss, but our two best-friends pretty much 'made up' for us. So, officially I have one boyfriend. We get through school together, we get through the exams together, we get through his mother dying, together. But now… how are we supposed to get through this? He's going to be living almost 6 hours away.-_

            "So…" Michael muttered softly as he watched his Aunt and Uncle pack the car and truck with boxes of things. Most things they were going to get later that week.

            "Well, at least you have some friends in San Francisco and you can still visit and write us here." Sydney looked over to him as they sat on the front steps.

            Jackie bounded down the steps with a book in her hand and then ran back up and into the house.

            "She packed last night. Cried most of the time." Michael looked back out, staring at something, but not really anything. It's like his mother died all over again. It's just hitting everyone how much life really is changing. "I hate this."

            "Me too." Sydney held his hand tightly in hers. "Here." Michael watched as she reached behind her neck, trying to unclasp her locket, the one he'd given her for their third month anniversary. Inside there was a picture of him and her. "You wear this." She reached up and clasped it around his neck, letting the locket drop behind his shirt.

            "Well, then…" Michael got up and went over to one of the boxes labeled with his name. Carefully he opened it and searched around in it until he pulled out a little box. Inside there were a few pieces of jewelry. Some of them were his mothers, but one of them was his own.

            He pulled out a silver chain and went back to Sydney, sitting next to her, holding out the chain. "I got it for my 10th birthday from my mom. It was my dads."

            "I can't…" She held her hand up, making sure he realized. "I'd be too afraid to lose it, or break it." Michael laughed softly and put it around her neck against her will.

            "Keep it, and wear it." Michael kissed her.

            "Hey." Jackie stepped in between them, breaking off their kiss. "Donovan's inside. He loves you Syd, so it's not like he's gotta warm up to you." She went back down the stairs and followed her Uncle around the car.

            "Give me your notebook." Michael sat up and smiled. Sydney looked at him, confusion on her face, but he just smiled more. "Come on, I'm not gonna read it, just give me your notebook and marker."

            Sydney hesitantly reached in her bag and pulled it out, including her black marker and handed it to him.

            Opening the marker, Michael started to draw something carefully and then wrote something, signing it in neat cursive. Then he took her bag and slid the notebook in. "You are not allowed to look at that cover until you get home. You got that?" His fake tone made her laugh.

            "I got it." She smiled.

            "I guess their almost ready to go, huh?" Michael leaned back on his arms. "Tell Francie that I'll miss her." He added as an after thought. "And tell Will that I'll beat him at Monopoly the next time I visit." They both laughed and stood up. He turned to go down to the car, but Sydney pulled him back and hugged him.

            "You don't get to leave that easily." She whispered and hugged him tighter, trying to think of everything hat happened before, all the way back to Christmas. A tear slipped, but she didn't care.

            "God, I'm gonna miss you." Michael swallowed audibly. They had actually had a long, serious conversation about long distance relationships, but nothing came out of it.

            "I'm gonna miss you too." Even as she said it, she held on tighter, trying to decide on something, but he beat her to it.

            "I love you." He whispered and closed his eyes, praying.

            Sydney smiled and pulled back, kissing him soundly before replying. "I love you too."

            "Michael, we gotta go!" Aunt Sarah called from the passenger seat of the car. Uncle Ben had just climbed in the front seat, slamming the door behind him.

            Jackie slouched in her seat, pulling out her CD player, not daring to look out the window, afraid she'd run back into the house and never leave.

            "You better go." Sydney smiled, letting another tear drop. "Go." She whispered.

            Michael kissed her again and then ran down the steps.

            _-Ok, that just sucks. I hate that the one guy who I say 'I love you' to (the one guy, cause I don't say it to my dad) is the one that is moving. There's something wrong with that! God, I'm so freaking frustrated right now that I can't stand it. I wanna hit something. That's the part I hate. I can't hit anything in here cause I'm afraid it might break and the pillow isn't hard enough to hit._

_            Seriously, I can barely read the last paragraph I wrote. It's just frustrated tension, scratch._

_            I can't write right now… I'll-_

_            Sydney put her pen down and stared at the last entry. Once she closed the book, she stared at the cover. The first time she had touched it, the cover had been blue. Now, it was covered in various words and drawings._

            Down in the corner:

            A heart with I love you written in it---

            And Michael's signature next to it.

A/N – Ok, another chapter down. Yay me! Except I think it was a little too… fluffy at the end. But whatever, I don't usually agree on what my brain wants me to write… so who's right? My brain, or me? I just confused myself…

There's something I wanna say though. I don't think I'll update We Found Each Other, cause it'd just be the same as this, which wouldn't really be doing anything. I'd just have to change little things around.


	4. I'll Always

A/N – Ok, this is now in the present… just read and I guess most questions will be answered… Thanks for the reviews.

The song is Love Song For No One – John Mayer. I don't know why I chose it, I think the first few verses go with it, but not really the rest.

_Staying home alone  
On a Friday  
Flat on the floor  
Looking back  
On old love  
Or lack thereof  
  
After all the crushes  
Are faded  
And all my wishful  
Thinking was wrong  
I'm jaded  
I hate it   
  
I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
So tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here   
Get here_

            "Francie?" Sydney knocked softly on Francie's bedroom door. It was funny that they were still friends after ten years, considering that most friendships don't last that long.

            Sydney pulled the door open slightly and watched as her friend cried, the silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Making her way into the room, Sydney took a deep breath. When she sat on the bed, she put her arm around France and gave a small smile. "Come on. David will never forgive us if we're late to his funeral."

            This made Francie give a weak smile. "I just--" She stopped and took three deep breaths to keep from crying. "Why him?" She stated the question clearly, as if really asking for an answer.

            "I don't know, honey. I don't know." But she did know. She knew all too well for her liking. And she remembered when her dad had told her.

**Flashback**

            "Sydney." Jack pulled on her arm and she spun around. "I think—" He stopped abruptly, looking into an empty room.

            Sydney followed him inside, watching as he flicked a switch on a little lighter thing.

            "Your friend… David. I believe he's Francie's brother." He paused, waiting for confirmation of his guess. A nod greeted him, so he continued. "He knows about SD-6."

            "What do you mean?": Sydney shook her head, not understanding, _how let alone __why David would know._

            "He knows. He's been doing research and he found out what SD-6 is." Jack took a breath and knew she'd ask another question.

            "So – he found out about a branch of the CIA, he's not—"

            A beeping sound jeered then from the conversation.

            "Listen, if we could meet somewhere and talk, that'd be good." Jack gave her a look that said 'the sooner the better'.

**Flashback Ends**

**            A knock on the door jarred Sydney from her thoughts.**

            "Hey Will." Francie got up and gave him a hard, fast hug. "We were just about to leave for the funeral." She smiled weakly again, making Will shiver slightly.

            "You okay Francie?" Will put his arm around her as they all made their way out of the bedroom.

_Searching all my days  
Just to find you  
I'm not sure who  
I'm looking for  
I'll know it  
When I see you  
  
Until then I'll hide  
In my bedroom  
Staying up all night  
Just to write  
A love song  
For no one   
  
I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
So tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here_

            Michael leaned back in the hospital chair. He'd been there for two hours after Weiss got shot in a freak shoot out. Now, he was just waiting for Weiss to wake up.

            "Mr. Vaughn?" The nurse nodded that he could go in now.

            "Knew you'd wake up sooner or later." Michael muttered when he collapsed in yet another chair, yet this one was next to the bed.

            Weiss smiled as he sat up, wincing slightly. "Well, I wouldn't leave my yo-yo with you, how could I?" Weiss ignored Michael's snort. "You'd throw him away the minute my funeral was over." He winced again when he stretched his shoulder. "Dam Sark, he's got good aim."

            Michael nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Devlin already has an assignment ready for you when you get back."

            Weiss looked up quickly, surprised. "Oh shit, that means I'm in trouble."

            "There's a new double…" Michael trailed off. There was no use wasting his breath for something that Weiss already knew.

            "No…" Weiss shook his head. "Mike,, you remember the last time I was a handler." He looked up with puppy dog eyes.

            "No, I'm not-" Michael cut off when Weiss batted his eyes. "You look like a girl." Michael laughed, but got serious quickly as he sighed. "You owe me one… a big one."

            "Yeah, I know." Weiss sighed in relief. "Devlin will probably give it to you no problem since he knows what happened last time…" Weiss paused and looked at Michael.

            "You better get back soon. Jackie misses your jokes." Michael smiled when thinking of his 20 year old sister. She was a newspaper photographer now and she loved it. Everyone was proud of both of them.

            Jackie the photographer. And Michael the CIA agent, taking after his dad.

            At eighteen, Michael had moved into his own apartment in San Francisco and gotten small jobs working with the agency. At twenty-one he moved up a bit, with Weiss also.

            When Jackie turned eighteen, they'd both decided to move back to Los Angeles. So, they packed and both of them ended up with great jobs, great apartments… and in "great" relationships.

            "I better get going. Alive practically screamed when I told her I was missing dinner to be at the hospital." Michael muttered as he grabbed his coat and threw it on.

            "Nice to know your girlfriend cares about me." Weiss leaned back, wincing yet again. "I'll see you later."

            Michael left quickly muttering about the Weiss, Alice, the CIA, Devlin and "his" new assignment.

_I could have met you in a sandbox  
I could have passed you on the sidewalk  
Could I have missed my chance  
And watched you walk away  
Oh no way  
  
I could have met you in a sandbox  
I could have passed you on the sidewalk  
Could I have missed my chance  
And watched you walk away_

            Sydney pulled her clothes down from her closet and started to fold everything.

            "I still can't believe your gonna move in with Danny, let alone that he proposed." Francie leaned on the doorway. The funeral had ended about two hours ago, and now Francie was calm and peaceful, though in her mind she was going nuts.

            "Neither can I." Sydney smiled as she quickly put the shirts and skirts in a suitcase then she started on the other things in the closet. Frowning again, she turned to Francie. "Hey, why don't we get pizza? Maybe it'll take our minds off the stress."

            Francie nodded. "I'll get it, you keep packing." She left the room without another word and Sydney went back to packing.

            Sydney opened one of the old boxes that she had kept. Playing with the silver chain around her neck, she pushed past some of the papers.

            "Oh my god." Sydney sighed as she picked up the doodled on notebook, running her hand over all the drawings and words, stopping on the heart with I love you written in it.

            She opened it slowly, reveling in the fact that she hadn't thrown it out before.

_---I hate that the one guy who I say 'I love you' to (the one guy, cause I don't say it to my dad) is the one that is moving.---_

_            Sydney slid onto her bed, reading all her old thoughts. Her opinions hadn't changed that much. Her dad was still a person it'd take a lot to open up to. Francie was still her best-friend. And Will was still in love with her._

            But everything came back to Michael. She remembered writing that they were losing touch after he'd moved. How plans to visit became further and further apart.

            Her last entry was full of angst and frustration, ending with:

_---I'll always love him.---_

_            And Sydney knew it was true. No matter what she did, she would love him. Even as she packed to move in with her fiancé, she felt her heart pound while thinking and reading about Michael._

            "Syd!" Francie interrupted her thoughts. "I met Will at the pizza place, and he invited us to a movie. So, I didn't get the pizza, we'll eat there."

            "I can't Francie." Sydney smiled as she closed her notebook and looked at her friend. "I'm expecting a phone call, that I really need to take." She wasn't lying, her father had told her that her handler (who knows who he is?) was going to call as 'Joey's Pizza'.

            "Ok, well, I told Will I'd come with him." Francie watched as Sydney sat there. "I'll be back later." She smiled softly and left.

            Sydney sighed as she threw the notebook in the box with her clothes. _Keep it safe. She thought._

            About half an hour later, Sydney collapsed on the couch, only to have to get up and answer the phone.

            "Joey's Pizza?" A voice asked into her ear.

            Somehow, the voice sounded familiar, but she crushed it off and replied, "Wrong number."

_I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
So tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
  
I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
So tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
  
You'll be so good  
You'll be so good for me_

A/N – Cookie for anyone who gives a review.


	5. Hug Me

A/N – Ok, here's who the cookies go to…

a reader, abercrombieprep, (aliaswannabe2@aol.com), Mysterious Siren, Shadow, carebear9, AliasDemon99 – That's six cookies… divide them equally, lol.

DoubleAgent – Look at that, you get a cookie and that new chapter you wanted.

EyEzOnLy – Yes, you get a cookie too.

Couch – I know, I have to get the chapters up sooner, but inspiration needs to strike sooner too. (One more cookie for you)

Risa – Ok, so that's one cookie for you, and one box of double chocolate chip cookies for me? --- nah, you just keep your cookie and the box, lol.

melia – Believe me, I get jittery when _writing about them. (One cookie for you.)_

Dani (Glittering Pegasus) – Hey!!! Yes, there's more, of course. I know you (and a lot of other people) would kill me if I didn't put more. (Cookie!!)

Vaughn+Sydney – Thanks, I was hoping people would like this version, it'd be very sad if I went through writing it for nothing. Yes, I'm gonna give you a cookie, cause I do want to.

Brandy – (I like your screen name) Hope you like how I made their meeting… and about that cookie… you get one!

Sally Moore – I'm a little worried about this next chapter, so I hope you (and the others) like it… and you get a cookie too.

(I officially love you all!)

_So denied, so I lied  
Are you the now or never kind  
In a day and a day love  
I'm gonna be gone for good again  
Are you willing to be had  
Are you cool with just tonight_

            Michael sighed as he ran a hand through his wet hair. Right after making the 'Joey's Pizza' phone call, it had started to rain. So far, he was considering it an omen of what was to come.

            "Knew I shouldn't have taken this damned assignment." He muttered, leaning against the chain-link fence that enclosed a desk and chair. "Comfy." His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

            Today had not been the best day. Weiss had gotten shot, and it had taken him… very long… to wake up. Alice was this ßà close to breaking up with him. And now this.

            When he heard footsteps making their way towards the gate, he opened it and waited.

            "Oh my god." He heard a female voice say. Before he looked up, he noticed a strange familiarity of that voice. Then he realized why.

            "Sydney?" Michael stood up straight, amazed that she was standing a few feet away after ten years. Then he stumbled back a little, almost falling over, but he caught onto the fence again. Straightening up, he blushed from the little show.

            "Hi." Sydney smiled and took off her coat as she made her way into the 'cage'. "Wow… now this is a coincidence… you made the call?"

            I took him a few seconds to register her question. "Um, yeah," was all he could manage to get out of his mouth.

            "Oh." She stopped and sat on the desk, trying to get comfortable in the awkward situation. Putting her coat on the chair next to it, she looked up at him.

            "So, you're the new double?" Michael finally found his tongue as he remembered the reason they were there. Was he supposed to bring up the past? What would Devlin say if he found out they'd dated in the past? Weiss is gonna give him hell.

            "Unfortunately, yes." Sydney smiled sweetly. Michael looked confused. Why was it unfortunate? As if reading his mind, Sydney added, "No, not that it's not really, really great to see you again, it's just that my job really… sucks, for lack of a better term."

            Michael laughed and nodded. "It's nice to see you too, Syd." He relished the way her shortened name slid out of his mouth.

            She just smiled and kicked her legs under the table. It was like they were back in high school, back in her room, reading and practicing French (in more ways then one, _wink wink)_

            Michael decided that he was thinking too much, so he broke the silence. "They didn't tell me a lot about you and how you got into the agency. Obviously, since they didn't even tell me your first name." He smiled and looked down at the piece of paper in his hands. "All they told me was that you work for SD-6, field agent, and that your dad is Jack Bristow." He nodded, remembering the day he'd gotten the information. "I knew Bristow sounded familiar…"

            "Yeah, my dad…" Sydney started, but stopped short. "You remember David?"

            Michael nodded. "Francie's brother, right? Yeah, I remember."

            "Well, he and Will are… were… both reporters. Will still is, but David…" She stopped again, the pauses were bad enough, but silence was really bad. Finally, she went on. "David was killed almost a week ago."

            Michael took in a breath. He had been expecting something bad, but he thought it was just a car accident and he was horribly disfigured… not that he was dead.

            "Yeah, my dad actually told me that David had been working on a story about this guy, I can't think of his name at the moment." Sydney stopped and looked Michael in the eye. "So, Sloane found out and decided to have him killed. He thought he knew too much, but the truth is that David didn't even know what SD-6 meant, let alone what was going on inside." She shook her head, trying to get the image of one of Sloane's 'assassins' (as she called them) killing David, out of her head.

            "I'm sorry." Was the only thing Michael could think of. He hadn't known David that well when they were teenagers, but he knew that Francie cared about him unconditionally (sisters usually do) and that Sydney was his other sister, though not by blood.

            "Yeah, I get that a lot." She smiled and kicked her legs again. "I hate this warehouse."

            Michael, glad to be out of the David conversation, sighed. "It's pretty cold in here, isn't it?" He tugged on his leather jacket; he hadn't had time to change after dropping by the office to tell Devlin he was taking the assignment.

            Sydney's beeper beeped, startling Michael enough to make him jump, and startling Sydney enough to make her practically fall off the table. Making herself straight up again, Sydney pushed the button to stop the beep, then checked to see who it was.

            "Crap, I have to go." She grabbed her coat, put it on, then looked up into Michael's questioning gaze. "Ok, here's the deal. Me and Francie are living together, and Will is too, practically. So, whenever my dog starts barking like nuts (which is lately a lot) she calls and puts in forty-seven forty-six, which is a little code for it." She took a breath and smiled, almost laughing at the way she blabbed. "Sorry, it's usually easier to explain everything at once."

            Michael laughed and then suddenly realized something. "You're dog…" He started to think and add numbers together. "You still have Donovan?"

            Sydney narrowed her eyes in confusion, then they widened in amazement. "Wow, yeah, I do." She smiled and threw her bag over her shoulder. "He's very stubborn, did you know that?"

            Michael laughed again and nodded. "Yes, I figured he'd give you the same problem."

            Sydney nodded. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you before my next trip." She smiled again and then left, a new twinkle in her eye.

            Michael looked after her and smiled. It was amazing how she could still make him smile and laugh with just a movement. And that's what he thought about the whole way home.

_Here's a toast  
To all those  
Who hear me  
All too well  
  
_

_            Sydney woke up to the sound of struggling in the living room, and laughter a little farther away._

            When she walked into the room, she started to fall over laughing as Francie tried to get Donovan on a leash. She heard Will laughing and knew he was probably doubled over on the floor.

            "You damn dog!" Francie pulled on his collar and finally got the leash clicked on. "Sydney! How dare you put me through that!" She playfully hit her friend's shoulder, who just laughed harder as the dog barked at them.

            Sydney just went over to Will and picked him up off the floor. "Think you could take Donovan for a walk?" She tried to keep her mouth shut, to not laugh. But Will, as he nodded, was laughing and holding his side that hurt when he fell off the couch. Taking the leash, Will left quickly to dodge a hit from Francie.

            Francie put her hands on her hips, trying to look serious, but after a few seconds both she and Sydney collapsed on the couch, laughing hysterically.

            "That dog is gonna be the death of me." Francie put her feet on the coffee table.

            "That dog is the best damn dog in the whole world." Sydney smiled, remembering when she had gotten Donovan… and also why.

            "Oh, guess who Will is now 'partners' with." Francie sat up straight, looked at Sydney, waiting for at least one guess.

            "Who?" Sydney squinted in confusion.

            "Jackie Vaughn. She's a photographer and she's helping Will get pictures for a new story." Francie smiled and leaned back again. "She and Michael moved back here a few years ago."

            Sydney just smiled, wide eyed, pretending to look shocked. 

            "I was gonna ask Will to invite them both to dinner, but it might be weird, cause now you've got Danny, the fiancé, and he's got Alice, the girlfriend." Francie shrugged, then rolled her shoulders to stretch.

            "It was ten years ago, Francie. It wouldn't be weird." _Yes it would. The though invaded Sydney's mind, and she knew it was true. She'd seen, and felt, the awkwardness that had been in the warehouse. She wouldn't be able to talk without her heart pounding in her ears. That wouldn't be good with her fiancé sitting next to her._

            "Well, I still don't know." Francie got up and went into her bedroom, leaving Sydney to think.

_Here's to the nights  
We felt alive  
Here's to the tears  
You knew you'd cry  
Here's to goodbye  
Tomorrow's gonna  
Come too soon_

_            "Jackie…" Michael tried to interrupt his sister, but it was no use._

            "And you'd think that now that I was his 'partner'," Jackie put her hands up and did the little quotations sign. "he'd show me a little respect. I mean, yeah we've just met and he's four years older then me." She stopped and collapsed on the couch next to him.

            "Jackie, calm down. I'm sure he was just… annoyed that he now has to have a 'partner'." Michael mimicked Jackie's quotation marks. "Plus, you still haven't told me his name."  
            "Oh…" Jackie smiled sheepishly. Then her eyes started sparkling, showing that she knew something he might _really want to know._

            "Shit, you've got that look again, Jackie." He narrowed his eyes.

            "It's Will… you remember Will Tippin." Jackie bit her lip and smiled. "I know that you haven't seen them, but them I mean Will, Francie and Sydney, in a long time, but I was gonna ask them to dinner or something."

            Michael slouched on the couch. How ironic was it? The day he gets assigned as Sydney Bristow's handler, and meets up with her after ten years, he also finds out that Jackie and Will are now partners.

            "Well, I don't have a choice. I only have a choice in if I go or not." Michael looked up as Jackie stood up quickly. She glared back at him, the look on his face was indifferent to hers. "Jackie, it's been ten years. It'd be weird. I have Alice now, and I'm sure Sydney has someone else too."

            "A fiancé actually." Jackie gave a nervous look, as if she was caught with her hand in a cookie jar before dinner. "His name is Danny… there was a picture of them all on Will's desk and he explained who everyone was." Jackie then added in a mutter, "It's not like you'd care, you have Alice."

            But Michael did care. _She has a fiancé. Was the thought that ran through his mind. Yeah, he has a girlfriend, but that doesn't mean he feels any better. (No offence to Alice or anything.)_

            "Hey Michael?" Jackie looked over to the clock, and read the 12:00 that was blinking. "Didn't you tell Eric that you were gonna bring him those magazines and… his yo-yo?"

            "Oh shit." Michael muttered and grabbed the bag full of things for Eric. He'd be out in a few days, but was still giving Michael hell. "Do I have everything? I don't wanna have to come back…" Jackie dangled his keys in front of him. Michael smiled and grabbed them.

            "Love you Jackie." He kissed her cheek then raced out.

_Put your name on the line  
Along with place and time  
Wanna stay not to go  
I wanna ditch the logical  
  
Here's a toast  
To all those  
Who hear me  
All too well_

_            Sydney threw her bag down in her new apartment. Technically it was Danny's apartment, but now it was hers too. The phone started ringing about five seconds from the minute she walked in the door. "Hello?" She cheered up a bit when she heard his voice._

            "Hey babe." Danny's voice went straight into her ear, making her smile. "You want to have dinner tonight? It seems I have off."

            "Wow, a doctor with nights off, how did I get so lucky?" Sydney collapsed on the couch and laughed. "Sometimes it's all too surreal."

            "I know." She could tell he was smiling. "So what are you doing?" Danny asked.

            "Getting ready to leave." She paused, then added. "I just wanted to drop some stuff here before I went to a meeting."

            "Oh… so you might not be able to come tonight?" His voice fell noticeably. It was a routine now. Whenever a meeting was mentioned, dinner was out.

            "Yeah, I'm not too sure yet though." Sydney sighed as she thought of all the dinners she'd missed already. "Listen, I gotta go. I love you."

            "Love you too." Danny sighed as they both hung up.

            Sydney slid off the couch, and made her way into the bedroom, looking for something to hold her hair up with. She found a scrunchie in one of the bags she'd brought over.

            Looking into the mirror as she pulled her hair up, she put her hands back down. In the mirror she saw herself, just… when she was younger. At fourteen she had been a normal teenager. Looking in the mirror, just because she knew her hair was a mess. Begging anyone with a car to drive her to her friend's house, or the mall.

            Well, she had been a normal teenager, with a normal life. Now she was just paying the price for all that… normalness.

            Sydney went into the living room and grabbed her jacket and keys.

            "Damn it." She muttered as she walked out the door. "Why me?"

            _You know why you. Because you were friends with David. Because David and Will are both nosy. Because David was-_

_            No, she wasn't going to get into the guilt trip after she finished thinking about David. That would just be too much._

            No, for now she'd get in her car. Which she did. Turning on the radio, she made her way to the meeting, dreading the next place she would be going. Also dreading when she'd get back.

            _Wonder when I'll get the 'Joey's Pizza' call. Sydney laughed at the thought. Thinking back to the meeting the other day, she laughed again. She and him were very awkward around each other. Yet, when they started talking they were back in 'tell each other everything mode' as if they'd never missed a day together. She wished they hadn't. After he'd moved, they kept calling each other, but her dad limited her phone use after that. He'd sent a few letters to her, and she'd done the same to him. But that didn't last._

            Everyone would think that visiting someone would be the best thing. You actually get to see them, but Sydney hated them for one reason. She always had to go home. Though she loved to see Michael, to see his face and his green eyes, she'd always dreaded seeing his image fade as the car drove away. Soon, those visits faded too.

            Sydney stared in shock that those thoughts lasted all the way to her meeting. Even when she sat in her seat in the conference room, the thoughts in her head were still _Michael._

_Here's to the nights  
We felt alive  
Here's to the tears  
You knew you'd cry  
Here's to goodbye  
Tomorrow's gonna  
Come too soon_

_            Michael slid onto his couch, deliberately stalling. He was supposed to be making a certain phone call right now._

            Sighing, he grabbed the cordless phone from the coffee table, but he didn't dial. Instead, he just stared at it, at the numbers that had faded since he'd used it often. Thinking back to his conversation with Eric, he thought back to the little parts of the conversation that he remembered. 

            _-"Maybe I should have kept the assignment."- Eric had said to him. Michael had replied with -__"Well, it's not my fault you don't like handler/agent assignments."-_

_            After that they'd gotten into a whole conversation on Michael's being a push-over, which Michael enthusiastically denied._

            The phone rang, which made Michael fall off the couch. Clutching the coffee table and the phone, Michael got himself into a sitting position on the floor, his legs half under the table.

            "Hello?" He said, more like muttered, into the phone.

            "I knew your phone wouldn't be busy." Weiss's annoyingly correct voice went straight into his ear. "You gonna make the call or what? It's not like she's not going anywhere."

            Michael sighed as he wished silently that he was just a regular person. That he was back at the office, back behind is desk. His glorious unmoving, non-emotional, doesn't-have-the-ability-to-talk, no past desk.

            He loves his desk.

            "Yeah, but I'm sorta using it right now… you called at a bad time." Michael ran a hand through his hair, entangling himself from the floor, making his way into the kitchen.

            "Well, if I try to call in thirty seconds, and I get through, I'm gonna get off this bed and come kick your ass." Anyone listening to him couldn't help, but smile. And they'd know that he was also smiling.

            Michael smiled. "I'm not scared of you."

            Weiss almost laughed into the phone. "Well, you should start being scared of me. I'll see you later Mike." He hung up and so did Michael, who just started dialing.

            "Hello?" A different voice, not Sydney's, met his ears. It sounded like Francie, but after ten years, who knows what she'd sound like?

            "Joey's Pizza?" He sighed into the phone, trying to sound real… whatever the hell that was.

            "Wrong number." He heard just before she hung up. Running a hand through his hair, he looked in the mirror above the hallway table. Grabbing his keys from the table, he made his way out the door.

            In the car, he turned on the radio as he made his way to the warehouse.__

_  
All my time is  
Froze in motion  
Can't I stay an hour  
Or two or more  
Don't let me let you go  
Don't let me let you go  
  
Here's a toast  
To all those  
Who hear me  
All too well_

_            "Hey." Michael smiled as Sydney made her way into the 'cage'. It wasn't a warehouse, or a fence. It was a 'cage' and it'd always be a 'cage'._

            "Hey." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She'd always done that. He even remembered that she'd done it a lot when they were fourteen and throughout the time she'd visited him. He could even picture her writing the letters to him, or talking on the phone, and pushing her hair back behind her ear.

            "World to Michael." Sydney waved a hand in front of his face and smirked when he jumped.

            "Sorry, I just… zoned." He picked up the folder on the desk and looked through it. "So… you're going to France?" Sydney nodded. "Well, you know how to speak French… you did pass that exam right?"

            "Hey!" Sydney slapped his shoulder playfully. "It may not be my best language, but I know it well enough."

            "Prouvez-le." Michael crossed his arms, as she put her hands on her hips. Smiling, he watched her think for a minute before she actually replied.

            "J'ai passé le Regents français. J'ai été en France au moins cinq fois." Sydney was going to end with that, but just for a show (such as the one where he almost fell down) she added, "Et j'ai eu un des meilleurs professeurs… vous."

            Michael went an immense shade of red, before coughing to show they needed to get to work. "Well, your good at French. But the CIA doesn't need French. They want you to get the disk, but not give it to SD-6. The CIA wants that disk even more then SD-6." He stopped and took a breath, watching Sydney as listened to every word. "This guy, Jacob, his employers aren't exactly angels, he isn't either. This disk has everything about that company, and from the info we've gotten, it even gives weaknesses."

            "But how am I supposed to get the disk, without Dixon knowing?" Sydney leaned on the chain fence, waiting for his answer.

            "See, that's where this comes in." He reached in the bag on the table and rooted through it, pulling out another disk. "This is a pretty much exact replica of the disk you're getting. Keep this with you, and when you get the disk, give this one to Dixon."

            Sydney took the disk and studied it. "What's on this one?"

            "Oh, just some fake information. You wouldn't believe what the tech-guys can come up with." Michael and Sydney both laughed, then smiled.

            "Marshall would love that." She shifted her bag to her other shoulder. "I better get going. My flight leaves in a few hours. I still have to tell Francie I'm going."

            "Oh." Michael sat in the chair, watching her face go through emotions. "Well, have a nice trip."

            "Hey." Sydney spun around and smiled at him. "You still like hockey?" Michael nodded, showing her the Kings pen he had. "Well, my friend gave me these tickets. Obviously me and you can't go together, but I thought you might like to take your girlfriend or something."

            Michael stood up. _How'd she know I had a girlfriend. "How'd you know I had a girlfriend?"_

            Sydney pulled out the two tickets from her bag and handed them to him. "Oh, Francie found out that Jackie and Will are partners… she's a gossiper, let me tell you." She smiled.

            He looked at the tickets, not wanting to look up. "Ah, she sounds like Jackie. Because from Jackie I've found out that you have a fiancé named Danny." He looked up finally.

            "Wow, she is like Francie." They both laughed. Michael stayed seated as she opened the 'cage'.

            "I never got that hug did I?" Michael called after her.

_  
Here's to the nights  
We felt alive  
Here's to the tears  
You knew you'd cry  
Here's to goodbye  
Tomorrow's gonna  
Come too soon  
Too soon_

            "What?" Sydney spun around again, looking at him with a confused look on her face.

            "You remember when we were fourteen or fifteen?" Michael watched as Sydney stood there.

            "Yeah, I remember." She swallowed, but made no attempt to move back towards him.

            "Well, I remember the first time we saw each other at my new house, after I'd moved to San Francisco." He smiled, leaning back in the chair. "You and I were in my room. Francie and Will had been picked up by their parents about an hour before that. Your dad had been on a business trip only a few miles away, so he was gonna pick you up later." Michael stopped short and looked up at Sydney. Her eyes shone in the darkness of the warehouse. "I remember that I was sitting at my computer desk, just watching as you looked at my photo album. I remember how each time you saw a picture of me and you, you'd smile, how you looked like you were going to cry." He stopped and looked up at her.

            Sydney watched as he stood up, almost like he was going to pace. "I was…" She stopped and took a breath. "I was going to cry." Visions of her looking at those photos, the film of tears on her eyes.

            "Right before you left that day," He took a deep breath again, trying to keep himself in check. "I remember you promised me something. We were standing in front of my house… your dad was getting annoyed that it was taking so long, sitting in the car." Not a good memory of Jack. "You made a promise."

            _--__Sydney__ hugged him tightly. Her arms around his neck, his arms around her waist. "I'm gonna hug you like this every time I see you." She smiled against his shoulder._

_            "That a promise?" Michael picked his head up and stared straight into her eyes._

_            "Definitely." He smiled and kissed her.—_

_            "I actually kept it too." Sydney laughed._

            "Not this time…" Michael looked at her, she was still standing right outside the cage. So, he made the move and walked out of it, standing a few feet from her.

            Now it was her turn. So she walked straight up to him and put her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. His arms slid around her waist, his cheek against her head which was on his shoulder.

            She held him a little tighter, afraid he would disappear… again.

_Here's to the nights  
We felt alive  
Here's to the tears  
You knew you'd cry  
Here's to goodbye  
Tomorrow's gonna  
Come too soon_

A/N – God that was long! I happen to like this chapter for some reason. Oh, and I took a line or two from The Box Part II… whoever noticed is a real Alias fan!

If this chapter went a little too fast (which I sorta think it did) then tell me… I might try and rewrite it.

If it's perfect… tell me!

**Translations:::**

Prouvez-le.  --- prove it

J'ai passé le Regents français.  --- I passed the French Regents.

J'ai été en France au moins cinq fois.   --- I've been to France at least five times.

Et j'ai eu un des meilleurs professeurs… .vous.   --- and I had one of the best teachers… you.


	6. Exactly The Same

A/N – God, I'm soooooo sorry about the wait. (Hope you all will forgive me), but I've had a cold… then a fever… then I got this serious case of writer's block. Sorry again.

Song is "Thank You" – by Dido

Ok, here's some info that people need to know, cause like before in the other version of this story, people got confused, so… yeah. We are now in the present time, though not in the present show story-line (understand?). Sydney works for SD-6, she already found out about the CIA and is now a double-agent. She found out because her friend David (Francie's brother) was killed because he was a reporter who found out too much. (Sorta the Danny story-line except Sydney didn't tell him). Danny is still Sydney's fiancé, she never told him about the CIA thing. Vaughn is dating Alice (very easy to understand.) Everyone knows about Rambaldi, and Sark is in this story and everyone knows about him too.

Oh, and if I didn't say this before, Jackie is four years younger then all of them.

_My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I  
Got out of bed at all  
The morning rain clouds up my window  
And I can't see at all  
And even if I could it'd all be grey  
But your picture on my wall  
It reminds me that it's not so bad  
It's not so bad_

            "What's wrong?" Jackie put the pictures, she'd been holding, down on Will's desk. He had a far away look on his face, a box next to his foot.

            "Oh, they just want me to clean out… David's desk." He stared at the desk, then looked down to the box. "It just feels weird."

            "I know." Jackie muttered. Hell, she'd lost more then friends. She'd lost her father when she was only two, and her mother when she was ten. "You want some help? Maybe that'll take your mind off it for a bit…" She suggested with a shudder. She never thought she'd actually be nice to Will, she was only working with him anyway.

            "Yeah, I'd like that." Will stood up, picking the box up with him. Jackie grabbed another small one from a nearby table, then followed him.

            As Will picked up the picture frames and the pencil holders, Jackie opened one of the drawers. Filing through the drawer, she threw all the pens and pencils into a pile. "What'd he do, stack up early?" She muttered so that Will couldn't hear her. That drawer was a mess. Besides the pens and pencils, there were five pads, a tape recorder and about fifteen blank tapes.

            Just to make sure they were blank, Jackie stuck the first tape into the recorder. Will looked up and watched as he threw more pens into Jackie's box.

            _"David! Don't you dare!" Francie's laugh came through loud and clear._

            _"Aww, come on, __Sydney__'ll do it." Will almost choked when he heard David's voice, laughing and jokingly yelling._

            _"No I won't!" Will could tell Sydney hadn't been in the same room as all of them._

            _"Crap, I left his thing-"_

_            The tape ended with a beep, Jackie pushed stop then went to the next one._

            On and on the next few minutes went. Will was just piling notebooks into a box, while Jackie listened to some of the tapes, just trying to see if she could picture David's face next to his voice.

            _"McNeil wasn't ready to give information just yet, but maybe in my next visit, I'll be able to get more. My last visit, yesterday, __October 2nd 2002__, failed, but-"_

Jackie stopped the tape, but Will took it from her. "That was a week before he was killed." Will muttered. "I didn't know he was working on a story…" Will pondered this, before putting the tape in his pocket.

"Well, he sure was into it." Jackie muttered as she pulled out a thick folder labeled 'McNeil'. "It seems that Mr. McNeil let out some info…"

            Will took the folder from her and thumbed through it, looking at all the key words. "I'm gonna hold on to some of this. It's not like Sydney and Francie are gonna want it." He muttered, not really talking to Jackie, more to himself, as he threw it over to his desk. "If there's anything else, can you please give it to me?"

            "Sure." Jackie sighed exasperated. She looked over to him and watched as he threw things in the boxes, pausing each second to run his hand through his hair. "Are you okay?" She finally asked.

            Will looked at her, surprised by the concern in her voice. "Yeah… I'm-" He stopped. "I'm as good as I'll get." He muttered throwing another notebook into the box next to him. "It's just – David was Francie's brother, but he was a brother to me and Sydney, though not by blood. It's just strange to clean out his desk, and know that he's not going to come and get this stuff."

            "Yeah, I felt the same way after my mom died." Jackie paused and took a breath, remembering the feeling of being in her mother's room the day after she'd died. "I remember walking into my mother's room and expecting her to be sitting there, reading those stupid, mushy romance novels she loved and drinking hot chocolate." Jackie smiled and threw more things into the box. "Then, when, Michael and I had to pack up her things… it all seemed too real. Putting all her pictures into boxes and all her romance novels and then taping them up."

            Will watched Jackie sit in the chair of the desk, and sigh. He did the same, and sat down too, watching her closely.

            "I cried… Michael wanted to, I could tell." Jackie paused again; it was getting harder to speak for her. It was as if her mom had died all over again. "Too many feelings go into someone dying. All the sadness, and depression. The worry for others, the hurt, pain, and even anger."

            Will looked a bit startled. "Anger? Why would you be angry?"

            "Because, depending on who you are, everything can just get thrown on you all at once. Imagine, I was ten years old, my mother died, and I was just angry at her for being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Jackie took another breath and continued, "Then I have to pack up all her things with my older brother who hasn't said a word to me since she died. Then in just days, I'm pulled from my house – my life – and thrown into a new school, with new people, new everything." Jackie frowned, then smirked as she added. "I didn't even get to keep my puppy."

            Will laughed with Jackie. "That god damn dog, Donovan. He's a menace. I swear, one day Francie is going to just let him run away." 

            "Really, maybe I'll have to steal him away from you." Jackie actually smiled sincerely.

            "I think this is the first time I've seen you smile since you came here." Will stood up and went back to cleaning out the desk, but his eyes were still sparkling with laughter.

            "I think it is the first time I've smiled since I came here." Jackie watched Will put things away for a minute then started to close the boxes that were done. _Maybe this won't be so bad. She thought._

_I drank too much last night  
Got bills to pay  
My head just feels in pain  
I missed the bus and there'll be hell today  
I'm late for work again  
And even if I'm there  
They'll all imply  
That I might not last the day  
And then you call me and it's not so bad  
It's not so bad and_

            "Hey." Sydney walked into the cage, and leaned back onto it. Michael was sitting on the chair, next to the desk; he'd been waiting for about ten minutes, just trying to think about anything except the hug from last week.

            "Hi." He whirled the chair around, playing almost, and then picked up the folder from the desk. "You know, these counter missions… actually these missions… always seem so easy when written down on paper."

            Sydney laughed and shrugged. "Well, that's on paper. Try actually doing the mission and you'll see what it's like for the spy."

            Michael smiled up at her and then went back to the papers. "Well, you're going to Spain… a party. Have you noticed that a lot of places you go, it's always a party?"

            "Yeah, too bad I never actually get to enjoy them… not that I would." She played with her necklace as she leaned on the cage. "Plus, like French in high school, Spanish isn't exactly an expertise of mine."

            "Are any languages your _expertise?" He laughed, and his eyes danced as she thought of her languages._

            "English, obviously, Russian and Italian." Sydney grinned and nodded at the paper. "What am I supposed to do?"

            "Well… you're supposed to get this book about Rambaldi. No one knows who wrote it and it's the only one. So, since you can't exactly take pictures of all the pages in that amount of time, there will be a CIA agent nearby and he'll take the book from you." He paused, looking up at Sydney, making sure she understood. "Problem is, we can't exactly make a fake book. So, you'll have to tell Dixon that you failed… either you couldn't get the safe open, or some other much better explanation since I'm not the spy here." He sighed and threw the folder on the table.

            "Yeah, I can probably just trip the alarm on purpose and run." Sydney smiled, though she was being completely serious.

            Michael just smiled back and sighed again.

            "Sark is gonna be there." Sydney told him.

            "Ah, yeah, Sark. Don't really like him all that much." Michael nodded slowly and coughed. "Sorry, trying to get rid of this cold I have." He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out cough drops. "Cherry." He and Sydney laughed.

            Sydney pulled on her necklace and stopped leaning on the cage. "That it?"

            He nodded. "Yeah…"

            "Ok. I'll see you when I get back." She started to leave, but Michael called her back.

            "Listen, Jackie has been telling me that she and Will are finally getting along, though she won't tell me how. And she's been hinting, mind you, just hinting, that she might ask everyone to dinner. Everyone being me, you, Francie and Will… including all significant others." He paused and sighed. "Just wanted to warn you, in case Francie, or Will, says something about it."

            "Okay, thanks." Sydney left quickly.

            He watched her walk away and then grabbed his jacket.

_I want to thank you  
For giving me the best day of my life  
Oh just to be with you  
Is having the best day of my life_

            Sydney pushed her hair behind her ear as she made her way up the steps of the mansion. "This place is huge." She whispered, knowing that Dixon, wherever he was, could hear her.

            "I know, I'm at the back of it, and it's… well, like you said, it's huge." They both laughed. "You ready?"

            "Always." Her hair fell back in front of her face as she opened the door slowly. The inside looked even bigger then the outside. It looked as if you could fit fifty of the CIA's safe houses in that one ballroom. People were dancing to the fast-paced music. Wishing that she could dance like that, Sydney made her way over to get a drink.

            "Vino, por favor." She told the bartender, then watched as he went to get her drink.

            "Wine, Syd?" Dixon's voice sounded in her ear. "I hardly think this is the time." His voice had a teasing edge to it. Just like when he was talking about her 'glow'…

            "I feel like I have one of those little angels on my left shoulder… that's you… and then on my right shoulder I'm sitting dressed in a devil suit…" Sydney giggled and took her drink from the bartender, making sure to whisper so that only Dixon could hear her.

            "You didn't drink anything before did you?" Dixon was smiling on the other end.

            "Shut up." Sydney laughed again and made her way through the crowd, careful with her drink. At one point someone dancing bumped into her, "Cuidadoso…" Sydney muttered. Her hand flew up to grab her necklace, which she felt slip. Moving out of the crowd, the necklace slipped into her hand.

            "What happened?" Dixon asked with a worried voice.

            "Nothing, the clasp to my necklace broke." Sydney sighed, wishing she had taken it off before she got on the plane.

            "That silver chain that you always wear?" He asked softly.

            "Yeah, that's the one." Her voice showed her disappointment that it was broken. "I'll just have to fix it when we get back." She slid the necklace into her purse and moved back into the crowd, leaving her drink on one of the tables.

            As she moved towards one of the stair cases, Dixon questioned her. "What's so special about that necklace, Syd? You seem to love it an awful lot." He didn't sound as if he was mocking her and her jewelry, just that he was confused.

            "It's nothing… I just happen to like that kind of plain silver chain…" Sydney sighed and climbed the steps slowly, careful in shoes like hers. Plus, her shirt and dress weren't exactly the kind of ones she liked to kick ass in.

            The long, dark, dark blue sleeves didn't cover her shoulders. Small, silver gems decorated the top edge of the shirt, and the bottom edge. The skirt fit snug on her waist and had the same gems on the top and bottom.

            "I'm not liking this dress." Sydney muttered as she made her way through the halls, searching for the right room, meanwhile making sure no one was coming towards or behind her.

            Dixon just laughed and typed something on the lap top in front of him. "The room should be coming up soon." He was still trying to stop snickering, but he couldn't help it.

            Sydney continued her trek through the halls, meanwhile continuing her complaint in good humor. "Do you think I could put in a suggestion… you know like one of those little cards that you put your name on. It would say, Sydney Bristow, suggest number one; let me choose my own outfits. Or at least choose ones that I can move easily in when having to do a back flip."

            "Is there more, or do I have to go radio silent just so I can stop laughing." Dixon stifled his next laugh.

            "I'll stop… cause here's the room. Finally." She opened the door slowly, checking to see if anyone was there. "No one." She stepped inside.

_Push the door  
I'm home at last  
And I'm soaking through and through  
Then you handed me a towel  
And all I see is you  
And even if my house falls down now  
I wouldn't have a clue  
Because you're near me and_

            "It's weird." Jackie muttered as she and Will sat in one of the plastic booths in McDonalds. She'd been thinking about those McNeil files almost all day and now that she and Will were finally out of the office, she could tell him what she thought. But first she took a bit out of her quarter pounder as Will pondered what she'd said.

            "What's weird?" Will took a sip of his milk shake. "The fact that McDonalds makes so much money, yet they still can't get better seats… or the fact that-" He paused and looked over to Jackie. There was a small glob of ketchup on the side of her mouth. "Or the fact that you can't eat a burger without getting ketchup all over you." He laughed and threw a napkin at her.

            The thoughts of David and McNeil slipped from her mind as Jackie wiped the ketchup and smiled, "Better?"

            "Much." Will rolled a fry in salt then popped it in his mouth. "What is it with you and ketchup anyway?"

            Jackie didn't answer right away, she just took a sip of her coke and continued to eat. "I love ketchup." She finally said. "It tastes good with pretty much everything. Especially if you're a McDonald's lover."

            The casual conversation seemed to end right there, very quickly too. The silence was overwhelming and Will was glad to be able to watch two kids play with their Star Wars toys.

            "When did you decide to become a journalist?" Jackie broke their silence and took Will's eyes away from the little girl who just snatched her brother's toy away.

            "I don't know." He shrugged. "I was always the curious one. Always asking questions." He paused for a second, smiling at a thought, then continued. "My friends always told me I was going to get into a career that involved that, and I guess… I did." He smiled again and shoved two French fries into his mouth.

            As he swallowed, Jackie took the time to think of when she first met Will. To her, he'd just been arrogant and egotistical… _but he was Michael's friends. And she wasn't allowed to 'hate' him… just 'not like' him._

            "What about you? When did you decide on photography?" Will asked as he crumpled the paper from his burger.

            "I guess cause I always liked being the first one to see things. Hell, I just liked to see things. And it's not just newspaper stuff, I like to take pictures of people and nature and stuff." Jackie stopped and crumpled her paper too; she pushed the napkin into a corner of her French fry holder.

            "How come you never have any of those pictures with you?" Will asked softly.

            "I don't have the time anymore, you know?" Jackie looked up at Will and smiled as she and him stood up. "Working just has me struggling for any _friend time… let alone any __me time."_

            "Well, I hope you find time soon. You're a good photographer and I'd love to see pictures that don't involve work." Will spoke to her in a friendly voice, no longer the regular, normal, work person voice.

            "Thanks." Jackie smiled as he opened the door for her and they walked out of the fast-food place.

            "So, you were saying before – way before – that something was weird… what was it?" Will asked as they made their way to his car. They'd drove there from work, so now they had to drive back so Jackie could get her car.

            Jackie thought about McNeil and David… all the files, all the recordings…

            "It's nothing." She smiled and climbed in.

_I want to thank you  
For giving me the best day of my life  
Oh just to be with you  
Is having the best day of my life_

            Sydney stepped into the room, taking in the décor.

            Blue. This person really, really liked blue. The walls were a light blue, while the carpet was a dark blue. The bedspread was a kind of a sapphire colors, and the nightstand; as disgusting as it might be; was a deep cyan.

            Sydney shuddered in disgust as she entered the room more. Little colors, such as dark green, light green, yellow, and blacks; they didn't stand out. But Sydney could easily tell where the safe was hidden.

            "Let me guess Dixon. It's behind the red painting of the sunset?" She walked over to it as she heard Dixon give her a 'yes'. But in her head, not her ear, Marshall was going over the two gadgets she'd have to use.

            _"Okay, so this guy, he's got a major thing with the color blue. I'm telling you, his obsession is even bigger then my aunts obsession with the discovery channel… you know that's sorta how I got into that channel, they've got this fascinating- Oh, right, sorry, well, anyway, there's this painting, like I said before, he's got this obsession with blue, right? So, to get behind the painting, you need something blue because there is a color sensor in the space between the painting and the wall and your fingers aren't blue, thankfully… it's actually quite amazing, because there's this chip inside the sensor- oh, right, sorry ,off topic again."_

_            Sydney smiled at the thought. Looking around, she noticed that there was nothing blue that was small enough to fit behind there. Sighing, she did the only thing she could think of. Reaching down, she snatched the bottom of her skirt and ripped a piece off._

            Quickly and thoroughly amused, she slid it behind the painting. There were three quick beeps, then the painting swung forward slowly.

            Sydney pushed it out of the way and took out her code-descrambler, letting it click onto the safe. "Dixon, I'm going radio silent."

            "Okay Syd, be careful."

            Sydney hit the switch and made sure Dixon couldn't hear her opening the safe. At first look, the safe looked empty and dusty, but Sydney reached a hand inside and felt towards the back. Finally, her hand hit the book and pulled it out. It was pretty small, but all the same, people didn't know a lot about Rambaldi. Smiling, she slid it into her purse and closed the safe.

            She pushed the frame back into place and tried to think of if she should trip the alarm then run. She hadn't been caught yet, and those were accidents. Finally, she just took a silver gem off her dress and held it under the picture. All of a sudden, a loud, annoying beeping sound started.

            "Dixon?" Sydney whispered as she rushed out of the room, making sure that he could hear her again. "I must of hit an alarm. I couldn't get the book."

            "Okay, Syd. I'll meet you outside in the back." Dixon sounded a little worried.

            "Okay." Sydney looked around as she rushed down the hallway, looking for a way out that didn't have guards. She saw the CIA agent and rushed over to him.

            "Excúse me, este partido es asombroso." Sydney let the Spanish slip off her tongue.

            "Asombroso como hogar." Was her reply, which meant; yes, he's the CIA agent.

            So, she handed him the book and made her way to the stairs, but she heard the clink of metal on the floor. Looking down, she noticed her necklace had fallen out of her purse. When she went to pick it up, she saw it was on the edge of the staircase, below the banister and hanging off slightly. 

            Reaching slowly, she touched it, but lost her footing and accidentally pushed it off. With a worried look on her face, she watched as it fell next to the feet of a blonde in a suit. She even watched - though she noticed that there were loud voices talking of the safe being open - as the man picked it up and examined it closely. Then he looked up and Sydney ducked out of view.

            Sark.

            "Shit." She muttered and made her way down the staircase and out the door. As much as she wanted her necklace back, she couldn't just ask Sark for it.

            "Hey." Dixon said as she climbed into the car. "How'd getting out go?" He asked as they pulled onto the road.

            "Fine…" Sydney sighed and leaned back, a pained expression crossed her face and Dixon couldn't help but notice it.

            "What's wrong?"

            "It's nothing… I just-" She paused and pictured the moment that Michael had given her the necklace. Then seeing Sark holding it and looking up, almost seeing her. "I just dropped my necklace off the stairs… and Sark sorta found it."

            "Well, don't think about that. It's not like he's gonna recognize it was yours." Dixon risked a glance towards her then back to the road. "You can get a new one when we get back. One exactly the same."

            "Yeah." Sydney leaned back and looked at the scenery passing by. "Exactly the same."

_                ---I'll always love him.---_

_I want to thank you  
For giving me the best day of my life  
Oh just to be with you  
Is having the best day of my life_

A/N – I just sat down today and just started typing… I hope you all like this chapter. Tell me… there will be much more Michael (I promise you that). I just wanted to get that Sydney loses the necklace… and Will and Jackie becoming 'friends'… ok. Thanks for waiting. I'm still really sorry.


	7. Can't Hate You

A/N – note to those who have read (and are reading) my other stories. All, except this one, are on pause. But the next story, after this one, that I will work on is Persistence. So, there's something else to look forward to.  
                Oh, info that you need to know. Sydney, Francie, and Will never actually met Eric Weiss. And I don't think they'd really remember his name when they'd heard it, like, 3 times. So, yeah. You'll get why I said this later in the chapter.  
                And in my world Eric is allowed to tell that he works at the CIA.  
                The song of the chapter is "Anytime" by Brian McKnight.  
                Oh, and I have a website, and on that site I wrote that David Anders (Sark) is the cutest guy (or something to that affect) and in my guestbook, someone told me that they went to high school with him. Isn't that cool? Lol.  
  
  
_I can't remember  
Why we fell apart  
From something that was  
So meant to be, yeah  
Forever was the promise  
In our hearts  
Now, more and more  
I wonder where you are  
   
                Sydney sighed as she unlocked the door to her 'new' apartment. Throwing her jacket on the couch, she made her way into the kitchen. On the refrigerator was a piece of paper.  
                __Went to help Will with something. Be back soon. Love, Danny.  
__                She sighed again and pulled out a can of soda. Ginger ale. She usually only drunk it when she had a stomach ache. Something her mother had taught her. But what's the difference between a stomach ache and a heart ache? Her heart ache was making her stomach hurt… so there.  
                Sydney took out some dog food and fed Donovan, who barked happily and then ate. She pet him for a minute, then made her way out of the kitchen.  
                Taking a sip of her soda, she walked into her bedroom. __Their bedroom. She'd have to get used to everything being hers and Danny's. Instead of just hers… or hers and Francie's. Would Donovan be __theirs or would he still be __hers. I mean, Sydney was the one who got him from---  
                Collapsing on the bed, her thoughts wandered to everyone else. Dixon was probably at home with his family. The thought of him and Diane brought tears to her eyes. Them playing with their kids, talking to them with such caring words, because they were everything.  
                Will and Danny would probably be sitting at a computer somewhere. Danny messing all the buttons up… because Danny never really liked computers even though he knew how to use them pretty well. Jackie would probably be there too. She and Will seemed to be getting closer and closer now that they weren't at each others throats.  
                Francie at a club. Dancing with someone knew. Trying to meet someone who could 'take her breath away', as Francie would put it. And though Sydney always told her there was no such person… Sydney knew there were.  
                Sark was probably having a better time then her. He was probably contemplating who's necklace happened to fall at his feet. Sark always did seem like the person who was "all business, no play".  
                Suddenly her thoughts slipped to Michael. Where would he be? With his girlfriend? Out at a gorgeous restaurant in one of those 'dinner suits' instead of a 'work suit'. Maybe he'd be alone. Having dinner at home. Maybe spaghetti or something. She laughed at the thought of him slurping up spaghetti.  
                Her laughter faded when she saw her last box to unpack. On the top was her notebook. She slid off the bed and onto the floor. Sitting cross-legged, she pulled the box in front of her and kicked it away after picking up the notebook and putting it on her lap. Smiling she ran her hands across the cover again. __"Francie's been here!" "Will – the nosy future journalist" "Francie is in love with __Chester__ from LP" "Syd luuuuvvvvs Mike (two of them. Mike from LP and Mike Vaughn, hehe)" "Scooby Doo Where Are You?!" "Girls Boys (hehe)"  
                Sydney laughed out loud. Her hand fidgeted and then went to play with her necklace. But before she could reach her neck, she remembered Sark picking up her necklace and looking up towards her. "Shit." She muttered, she didn't even notice the tear fall out of her eye. But then it splashed on the page she'd just opened.  
                __-I'll always love him.-  
                She watched as more tears fell next to the words, but never actually on them. Like they were covered by some invisible shield. Feeling depressed wasn't new… but feeling alone and fake was.  
                Sydney closed the book hard and slid it towards the box. Then she broke down, letting her tears fall freely.  
  
__Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
Do you ever wake up  
Reaching out for me  
Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
I miss you  
__   
                Francie smiled a weak smile towards Clark. "I'm sorry, what was that?" She almost had to yell over the music.  
                "I was just wondering if you wanted to dance." Clark seemed to not get the hint.  
                "Sorry, I don't dance. Not too good." She smiled again, then made her way to get a drink. It was the first time in a long time that she had just wanted to be alone… by alone that meant without Will or Sydney. They just seemed so occupied lately, it was a little strange. But she had things to do on her own. Opening a restaurant for one. But tonight was a free night. Sydney was probably thinking that she wanted to meet a guy.  
                __"I want a guy who takes my breath away." Francie slapped __Sydney__ playfully on the shoulder.  
                __"Good luck." She'd replied.  
                "Oh, God. I'm sorry." Francie checked to make sure she hadn't gotten any drink on the person she'd smashed into.  
                "No, it's my fault. My mind was gone." As if trying to express more then words, his hand flew over his head. "I didn't get anything on you, did I?" He smiled casually.  
                __Wow. Francie smiled back. "No. I was wondering the same about you…" He shook his head, looking down at himself. Nothing. "I'm still sorry. I'm usually not such a… a…" She searched in her head for the right, non-dorky, word.  
                "A spaz?" He tried on for size. "Not that you are. You were just looking for a word and-"  
                Francie held up a hand for him to stop. She laughed softly. "It was the right word. I'm Francie Calfo." She held out her hand. The guy took it and held it for a moment too long, then let go.  
                "I'm Eric. Eric Weiss." Eric led her over to a seat and sat right after she did. "I know I said sorry about the whole head in the clouds before, but I'm not really." He smiled shyly and shivered a bit. "I never would have gotten to meet you if it hadn't of been."  
                "You're sweet and all, but how do I know you're not some stalker person." Francie took a sip of her drink and fidgeted on the seat a bit.  
                "Well, I work for the CIA; that should be a clue." His smile was driving her crazy.  
                __Well, Syd, looks like there is such a guy.  
                She took a deep breath. Hell, she needed about a hundred more, but she was getting there. "The CIA? I'm guessing desk work."  
                He laughed and nodded. "I'm not into field stuff. I actually got shot the other day, but other then that, it's all deskwork."  
                "You were shot?" Eric nodded. Francie shook her head. "Wow, that must hurt. If you say it was only a few days ago… why are you already out in a club?"  
                Eric smiled. "I just needed to get out. I don't like being confined for too long." He shrugged and went back to playing with his drink. "This is why I do desk work. I'm not confined to one office, because I usually followed my friend-" He stopped and laughed. "Okay, now I'm babbling."  
                Francie laughed too.  
                "Hey, you wanna dance?" He stood up and held out a hand.  
                Francie glanced around the room and stood up too. "Yeah."__   
  
Still have your picture in a frame  
Hear your footsteps down the hall  
I swear I hear your voice  
Driving me insane  
How I wish that you would call  
To say  
  
                "I have to go catch a flight. I'm going away for two weeks. I told you right." Danny watched Will nod and give his hand a friendly shake. "It was nice meeting you Jackie." He smiled at her. "Tell Sydney I'll see her when I get back." He gave one last nod and then left.   
                "He seems…" Jackie made a face. "__Nice?"  
                "Nice?" Will laughed and grabbed his keys. "Come on. We're going to dinner. Cause I'm starving." He grabbed Jackie's jacket and helped her put it on, before putting on his own.  
                "No more McDonalds?" She smiled sweetly and made her way to the door.  
                "Actually I was thinking more along the lines of __Wendy's." Will and Jackie laughed as she slapped him playfully.  
                As they got in the car, Jackie stared at Will. "Instead of just getting __Wendy's and eating there, how about we get the food and then go to the pier?" She looked hopefully at Will. Jackie loved the water, and she didn't really want to have to sit on a plastic seat anymore.  
                "Okay." Will smiled and pulled the car out of the driveway.  
                After getting their food, they made their way to the pier. Staring at the water, Jackie remembered why she had loved L.A so much.  
                The silence was too… quiet for Jackie, so she asked, "When was the last time you saw my brother Michael?"  
                Will looked shocked at the sudden question. Lost in thought of how he'd ended up on the pier with Jackie, sipping a milk shake. "Um… I think it was when we just turned sixteen. We were at the beach. Michael and I were talking about hockey and Sydney and Francie were playing in the sand." Will laughed at the memory of Sydney and Francie picking shells and making castles. Then Michael and Will had tried to help, but messed it up. Which made Sydney tackle Michael and they were all laughing by the end of the day.  
                "Wow." Jackie stared into the water, seeing some of her reflection. The brown hair, you couldn't tell, but her eyes were also green. "Do you think Sydney misses him?"  
                "Yeah." That was it. That was all Will could think to say. He hadn't mentioned Michael to Sydney at all. But he knew Francie probably had. "So…" He tried to get off the conversation of Michael and Sydney. Leaning on the railing, he looked in the water and saw his own reflection and next to it, Jackie's. "I'm surprised you wanted to be here. You sure you don't have a hot date that's waiting for you right now?" Will joked casually.  
                "Nope."  Jackie looked over to him and smiled sweetly, something gleaming in her eye. "I may be twenty, but I don't go on many dates." She laughed a bit then looked out at the water.  
                "Is there a reason for that?" Will asked looking at her, she met his gaze and held it.  
                "What time is it?" She asked, dodging the question.  
                "Um, almost 10:00, why?" He looked worried, like the question got her upset, or it was something about him that she didn't want to be around. (Poor Will, always self-conscious)  
                "Oh, I'm just moving to a new apartment tomorrow, and I still need to pack a few more things." Jackie pulled her jacket tighter and started walking down the pier. "I should really get going."  
                "Want some help?" Will followed her to the car, and watched the emotions run on her face.  
                Finally, she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."  
  
__Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
Do you ever wake up  
Reaching out for me  
Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
I miss you  
I miss you  
  
                Michael woke up the next morning with a strange headache. "Shit." He looked at the clock. All he had to do today was tell Sydney one counter-mission and then he was off for the day. __That's it. "Damn it." He muttered.  
                Making his way off the bed and out the bedroom, he spotted his computer sitting on the coffee table. "Jackie…" He muttered, knowing that she probably got their earlier to use the computer and then left in a hurry.  
                Michael went over to it and was about to close it when he saw 'yahoo' was open. There was the 'daily quote' and the 'daily horoscope' that Jackie had programmed into it, but Michael never really noticed them. He usually used his computer at the office, and that one Jackie hadn't gotten her hands on. But, being a very curious person he read the horoscope first:  
__                Sagittarius (November 23rd – December 21st) ::weekly::  
                A get-together could include both you and your romantic interest. You'll be happy as usual to see some of your friends, and you could have some great conversations. Someone in a spiritual or artistic field might have some fascinating information to pass on. However, the prevailing celestial transit indicates that you'll probably want to leave early.  
                Michael sighed and went to the quote.  
__                "You are a victim of the rules you live by."  (Jenny Holzer)  
                He laughed quietly then closed the laptop. Jackie had left a note on top, with a phone number.  
                __Mike – call this number – I got a cell phone, yeah, me, the one who hates to talk on the telephone. – Jackie  
                Instead of getting into a suit and tie like he normally did. He hurried into a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. Pulling on his leather jacket, he made his way out the door. Three hours until he would have to make the Joey's Pizza call. So, he didn't want to spend it inside his house thinking about Sydney.  
                No, instead he'd be outside the house… thinking about Sydney.  
                Inside his head there was a nagging memory of them that just wouldn't come out. He knew it had been a small conversation, but it seemed pretty 'important'. It annoyed him.  
                Michael flipped out his cell-phone. Dialing Jackie's __new number, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.  
                "Hello?" Jackie's voice filled his ear. She sounded tired a little bit, but not tired enough for Michael.  
                "You wanna have lunch? I woke up late and I'm starving. Plus I've got three hours until I have to work for an hour." Michael started driving towards Jackie's new apartment before she even answered.  
                "Oh, food. Need some of that." Jackie sighed. She laughed softly. "Depends. It's gotta be no __Wendy's and no __McDonalds."  
                He paused for a moment thinking of why the hell she'd be mentioning those two places. "I'd ask why you're telling me, but I don't think I want to know."  
                "It's just a little inside joke between me and--" Suddenly a banging sound filled his ear. Two curses were heard barely, right before Jackie's voice came back. "Sorry, dropped the phone. Kit Cat was right behind me and she scared me." Jackie sweet talked the cat for a second, while Michael drove into her driveway. "You're lucky you called my cell phone cause my real phone isn't hooked up." She hung up before he could reply.  
                Barely two minutes later, Jackie bounced down the steps and into the car. "Hey bro."  
                "You look tired… but not." Michael turned on the radio, but kept it low. Jackie always had this thing of putting it too loud, so Michael did it before her.  
                "I just had a long, but good night." Jackie smiled, but didn't continue. He gave her a look, trying to get her to talk more. "What?" Michael gave her another look. "Fine. Me and Will had dinner on the pier and then he helped me pack up my stuff and then, though late at night, we moved it to the apartment."  
                "And then…" Michael gave her a smile.  
                "And then nothing, we talked; he went home." Jackie smacked him on the shoulder. "For now, just have a nice little lunch with your younger sister. Please?" She gave him the puppy-dog-face.  
                "Oh no…" He looked away and continued to drive.__  
  
(No more)  
Loneliness and heartache  
(No more)  
Crying myself to sleep  
(Don't want no more)  
Wondering about tomorrow  
Won't you come back to me  
Come back to me, oh   
  
                Francie lay on the couch with Donovan. Her with a book in her hand, Donovan with his head on her leg and her petting him slowly. "You are a mellow dog __sometimes, you know that?" His ears perked up a bit, but nothing else changed. Francie smiled and continued reading.  
                "What are you doing here?" Sydney walked into the kitchen, glancing at Francie as she looked for stuff to make coffee.  
                Francie looked up from her book, Donovan jumped from her and went to Sydney, waiting for his breakfast. She got up and followed Donovan to Sydney. "I came here because I didn't want to go home and be alone last night. I met a guy."  
                Sydney's eyes shot up. "You met a guy?" She continued to make her coffee, but now she was more attentive. Francie took over the coffee as Sydney fed Donovan.  
                "Yeah, he was so sweet." Francie sighed at the thought. She looked around suddenly, wondering. "Syd, where's Danny?"  
                "Oh, he's gonna be gone for two weeks. Some medical convention thing." Sydney yawned and took a cup of coffee from her. "So, this guy. What's his name, what's he look like?"  
                Francie smiled and gave her the details. "His name is Eric, and he's just plain gorgeous." She got a dreamy look on her face. "And he's a guy who can take my breath away. And you said it couldn't happen. So there." She stuck her tongue out.  
                "We're not in high school anymore Francie. Sticking out your tongue gets you no where nowadays." Sydney laughed.  
                "Oh, speaking of high school. Will called and said that Jackie invited us to dinner with her and Will. He said that Jackie was getting Michael and his girlfriend to come too." Francie bounced on the seat she'd just taken in the living. As Sydney sat next to her, she added. "We haven't seen those two in so long, I said we'd come."  
                "I don't know…" Sydney trailed off, thinking about her necklace and what she thought the night before.  
                "You know that you want to see him." Francie retorted. "You've wanted to see him since I told you Jackie was back and was Will's partner." She looked Sydney in the eye and said something Sydney had thought of constantly. "And you've been wondering why he never tried to contact you when he moved back."  
                Sydney shook her head. Not in a 'no way' movement, but in a 'how the hell' way. "You're making it harder to say no."  
                "Then don't say no." Francie pleaded. "Just come to dinner with us. You, me, Will, Michael, Jackie and what's-her-name." They both laughed. "Who cares about Michael's girlfriend? You can hate her all you want. Plus, you've got Danny."  
                "Fine." Sydney whispered. "I'm tired and I've had barely any coffee. So, fine."  
                "Oh, thank you. I didn't wanna go if you didn't." Francie leapt up and hugged Sydney.__  
  
Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
Do you ever wake up  
Reaching out for me  
Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
I miss you   
  
                Jackie slapped Michael playfully. "You miss her, and you know it." She went back to her bagel and ripped a piece off, popping it in to her mouth.  
                Michael smiled slowly and took a sip of his coffee. "You're up to something Jackie. You're just leading into it, instead of putting it right out there." He put his drink down and stared at her.  
                "Don't give me that look." She pointed a finger at him. "Fine. I invited Will and the other two to dinner on Saturday." Looking down, she ate another piece of her bagel.  
                "Jackie." Michael didn't say anything else. Anyway, her name was enough to make her realize she did wrong… or at least to him she did wrong. "I have a date with Alice that night." He finally stated.  
                "Yeah, I knew you'd say that. That's why I asked her this morning if she could just come to dinner with us." Jackie smiled mischievously. "Haven't you realized yet that you can't get anything past me?" She shook her head and looked down. "Besides, Will and I have decided that you guys all need to see each other again. It's the annoying four musketeers, back together again." Jackie laughed.  
                Michael smiled. "God, what'd I do to deserve you?"  
                "I don't know, but it must have been pretty terrible." Michael playfully hit her. Jackie just chuckled and threw her napkin out.  "You know you love me." She kissed him on the cheek then looked at her watch. "I gotta get going."  
                "We have to do this more often." Michael stood up and grabbed his jacket, throwing it over his shoulder.  
                "Yeah, sister/brother bonding." She leaned on him and smiled. "You're coming on Saturday, right? Alice said it might be fun to see who you hung out with at school." She and him made their way outside.  
                "Yeah. Saturday's good." Michael put his arm around his sister as they walked.__  
  
Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
Do you ever wake up  
Reaching out for me  
Do I ever cross your mind  
Anytime  
I miss you  
  
                "Hello?" Sydney's voice shot through his head.  
                Michael muttered, "Joey's Pizza?" He could barely make those two words into a question.  
                "Sorry, wrong number." There was something in her tone and the loudness as she hung up.  
                Michael stared at the phone for a few seconds before pressing the 'talk' button and throwing it on the couch.  
                Ten minutes later, somehow he'd made it to the warehouse. A yellow folder in his hands, he threw it on the table and slid into the chair himself to start waiting for Sydney. When the cage door opened, he didn't even look up. Scared of what he might see.  
                "Hey?" The greeting from her was in the form of a question. He finally looked up; her eyes searched his for something that would show why he hadn't greeted her like he did the other day.  
                "Sorry." He whispered. "My mind's not completely focused today." __It's focused. Just not on the missions. It's just focused on her. "Sorry." He said again.  
                "You didn't have to say that the first time." Sydney laughed and walked farther into the cage. "So, what's my counter?" She sat on one of the crates. She'd done some moving around. One day she'd sit in the chair, one day on the desk, and this time on the crate.  
                "Oh, you just have to take pictures…" He looked on the desk and picked up the camera that was stationed next to the folder. Memorized the folder just a few minutes ago.  
                "Ok, simple enough." Sydney's hand itched to play with her necklace, but that'd be hard since it wasn't there. "Did Jackie tell you about-"  
                "Dinner? Yeah." Michael looked away from her. "I told her I'd be there… only because my girlfriend told her we'd be there."  
                Sydney nodded slowly. "Yeah, Francie begged me to go, so I told her I'd go."  
                "What about…" Michael searched his head for the guy's name. "Danny? That's his name right?"  
                Sydney smiled brightly. "Yeah, that's his name. But he's going to be gone for two weeks. Some medical convention thing." She shrugged and rolled her neck. "Sorry, I just slept wrong." She laughed.  
                Michael smiled (finally) and nodded then looked back up to her. Then he noticed something. "Where's your necklace?" Sydney looked up, shocked. "You've had a necklace on every meeting we've had." His eyes squinted in confusion.  
                "Oh." Sydney's hand went straight to her neck. She frowned noticeably. "I... lost it, I guess you could say. On the last mission I had." She sighed. "The clasp broke, I put it in my bag, it fell out and down the steps… and Sark found it." She sighed again, this time more sadly. "That's the cliff notes version anyway."  
                "Oh." He muttered. "I was just wondering, cause you were always playing with it. Was it an important necklace?" He was clueless as to what the necklace was from. (Which means he didn't know it was the chain he'd given her.)  
                "It was pretty important. I've had it… for years now." Sydney nodded, not knowing if she should tell him. Finally, she decided she should. "It was the necklace you gave me actually."  
                Michael looked up sharply. All the times she had started playing with the necklace while around him, he'd thought it'd been a gift from her fiancé or her friends… maybe even her father. But instead she'd worn the necklace that she'd had for ten years. __Ten years.  
                "Sark huh?" Michael watched Sydney nod.  
                "I told you I'd lose it." She laughed, almost happily, but not really.  
                "If I could go back in time, I'd still make you take it." Michael looked up at her and caught her eye. She just nodded slowly. Both wished they really could go back in time.__  
  
I miss you  
  
                Eric and Michael walked into Michael's house. Michael collapsed on the couch, while Eric 'fell' into the chair. "What'd you say her friend's name was?"  
                "Well, there's Will. And then there's Francie." Michael kicked his shoes off and sat up to take his jacket off. "Why'd you wanna know?"  
                "Cause how many girls do you think there are named Francie." Eric asked, immediately Michael shook his head in a 'not many' way. "Yeah, so this means that I met Sydney's friend Francie."  
                Michael sat up quickly, shock in his eyes. "When did you meet Francie?"  
                "Well, I told you the other night that I wanted to get out. I was tired of sitting there just because I was shot and just got out of the hospital…" Michael nodded. "Well, I went to that new club and met her there. And we danced and we talked and we've got a lot in common." Eric finished finally.  
                Michael opened his mouth to comment, but the phone interrupted him. He grabbed the phone and said, "Hello?"  
                "Michael?" Alice's voice shot through him. Not in a good way for some reason.  
                "Hey Alice." Michael looked over to Eric who threw his head back in a very annoyed way. He never liked Alice.  
                "I – um – I…" She paused for a second. "I can't make it on Saturday." Alice finally finished after about five minutes.  
                __You have got to be kidding me. "Why?" Was the only word that Michael could make out. The only reason he'd been going in the first place was because Jackie told him Alice wanted to.  
                "I have to have dinner with my boss' family. And believe me Michael; he will fire me if I don't go." Alice's voice was begging him to forgive her.  
                "Fine. I'm too tired to even think right now." Michael muttered. He seriously wanted to just lie down and die at that moment, but he was gonna wait until Eric went home for that.  
                "Well, I'll call you later." Alice said before she hung up.  
                "So?" Eric asked as Michael hung up the phone. "What's going on with Miss Wonderland?"  
                Michael just stared at the phone. Finally he muttered something and then stated clearly. "I'm going to dinner with them alone. She's not going." His head hit the arm of the couch again, this time harder though. "Oh, I hate today."  
                Eric just laughed.__  
  
I miss you  
  
                Jackie looked towards the clock in Will's apartment. 7:00, __where is he? She'd told Michael to be at Will's house at the latest 6:45. __He's fifteen minutes late.  
                A knock on the door jarred her from her thoughts.  
                "I'll get it." Will put his glass of wine down and got up, leaving the three girls to talk.  
                Michael stood outside, leaning against the railing, waiting for someone to answer the door. He'd sat in his car in front of his own house for five minutes before actually driving. Then he'd sat in front of Will's apartment, thinking about what he was about to do. Then finally realizing that Jackie would kill him if he didn't show, let alone he was already 15 minutes late.  
                "Hey." Will answered the door and ushered Michael in. "It's good to see you again." He shook Michael's hand, trying to get a feeling of familiarity, but he couldn't conjure it up.  
                The same was going with Michael. "It's nice to see you too, Will." As they walked into the living room, he made sure Jackie could hear the next part. "I'm sorry I'm late, I just got caught up in something at home." Jackie gave him a glare which he ignored full on.  
                "Michael!" Francie jumped up and hugged him.  
                "Hey Francie. I'm glad to see you again." He genuinely was glad. Francie had been the best at keeping people grounded and just perfectly happy about things. No matter what happened, if Francie was there, there was a smile on anyone's face. "Hey Sydney." Francie had finally let go of him and sat down. He stayed standing.  
                "Hey Michael." Sydney pulled him into a tight hug. "It's great to see you again. We all missed you." When she let him go, she looked over to Jackie. "We missed you too, Jackie." She sat down.  
                Michael sat next to Will and laughed as Jackie jumped up and pulled Will with her, running into the kitchen.  
                He wasn't the only one laughing. "So, you guys wanna bet on when they'll finally get together?" Francie coughed as she sipped her own wine. "I swear, Will and her were at each other's throats when they first became partners."  
                "No one would realize that now." Michael sat back, trying his hardest to relax. It was pretty hard to relax with your ex-girlfriend, especially one that you fell in love with the moment you saw her, sitting across from you. __Pretend you're in the warehouse. Pretend you're just going over a mission. Except that'd be no different. He'd still be sitting across from her, just this time they weren't alone.  
                Two hours later they were all finally 'comfortable' sitting at the table with Chinese food eaten and discarded around them. Fortune cookies were left.  
                "You do not want Will to cook. And I swear, if I hadn't watched him dial the phone, he'd have ordered Domino's Pizza or something." They all laughed.  
                Sydney took a sip of her wine, Francie just fingered hers. Will and Michael were both holding beer. Jackie was just playing with her fortune cookie, a glass of Root Beer sitting next to her hand. Since she was underage (only 20 mind you, almost 21) Michael wouldn't let her drink any alcohol, wine, nothing. Talk about protective brother.  
                "What's it say Jackie?" Sydney nodded toward the fortune cookie between Jackie's fingers.  
                Jackie just smiled and ripped the fortune out. "No one is perfect until you fall in love with them." She just smiled, not explaining that she knew what it meant. "Francie?  
                Francie opened her cookie and read her fortune. "Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. I like that one."  
                "Adding it to your collection?" Sydney asked as Francie nodded and put it in her purse. "So, Will. Your turn." Sydney watched him carefully open it so as not to break the cookie halves in half.  
                "Lead me not to temptation, I can find it on my own." Will smiled mischievously. "They have weird ones, don't they?" He muttered as he slid it into his back pocket. "So, Syd?"  
                "When you relinquish the desire to control your future, you can have more happiness." Sydney read aloud. She didn't smile though, she just took a sip of her wine and put her fortune on the table.  
                Jackie looked towards her brother who had already opened and was reading his fortune silently. "What's it say, bro?"  
                Michael shook his head, he couldn't read it. Not now any way. He slid it into his pocket without anyone seeing.  
                "I have to get up early tomorrow, so I should get going." Michael stood up and went back into the living room, everyone followed; they had been about to go in there anyway.  
                "Ok." Jackie leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek.  
                "Oh, well, I should go to. I've got a flight tomorrow." Sydney grabbed her jacket from the couch. "I just need a ride."  
                "Why don't you take Sydney home, Mike. Her house is on your way." Jackie told him. How she knew that, he'd have to ask her later.  
                "I-" But he stopped when he saw Jackie's pleading look. "Okay. Sydney, you'll just have to give me directions." Sydney nodded and kissed Francie and Will on the cheek, then told Jackie how nice it was to see her again.  
                When they all said their good-byes, Sydney and Michael made their way out.  
  
__I miss you  
  
                Michael tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He hadn't expected Jackie to ask him to drive Sydney home. Hell, the look of pure shock on his face when Jackie asked probably gave him away at that.  
                "Turn left and go two blocks and you're there." Sydney instructed him. He hadn't spoken. Just nodded and gave a little 'sure' 'yes' and 'no'.  
                They had gotten to her house, but she wasn't sure whether to just say bye or- "Do you want to come in?" Before he could shake his head, without even speaking, she mentioned. "I'm sure Donovan would love to see you." She smiled and opened the door.  
                Without a sound, Michael got out and followed her to the door. The minute she opened it, Donovan came bounding up to her, licking her hand, then traveling to Michael, who bent down and pet the dog softly, smiling when the dog barked happily.  
                "Are you gonna talk at all?" Sydney had taken off her jacket, thrown her keys on the counter and crossed her arms all in the split minute that he'd been inside. She wasn't angry, a little sad that he hadn't spoken.  
                He was just shocked. And not by the fact that he'd driven her home and was now in her house. But by the feeling he was having just being near her. And somehow, but the look in her eyes mostly, he knew she was feeling the same.  
                "I don't know what to say." Michael whispered as he stood up, letting Donovan go run into another room. "I didn't expect to be here. And honestly, I didn't really want to."  
                Sydney didn't look hurt. She looked… like she understood.  
                Before she could say anything, he continued to speak. "Can we… __talk here?"  
                She nodded. "Yeah, my dad got this thing that makes all the bugs… 'die'." She smiled, then frowned quickly.  
                "Did you know that I wasn't supposed to be your handler?" Michael watched her shake her head. "Eric was supposed to. But he begged me to take over the handler/agent assignments, because of something that happened the last time." He ran a hand through his hair and looked away. "And honestly if I had known that you were the agent, I never would have given in to him."  
                Sydney looked away and then finally looked back at him. "Well, I had no choice, so I guess even if I could go back-" She stopped.  
                Michael watched her stand there. There was a look in her eyes; a pained expression, but not from him. From herself.  
                "I woke up this morning with all intent purpose to go and tell Devlin that I couldn't be your handler anymore. I was going to go right after our meeting. But I couldn't and I have no idea why." Michael was shocked by the way he was just going on and on about how he didn't get off her assignment. "I saw you, and I heard you talk about the necklace and it being important…" He stopped. He'd definitely said too much. Let her talk. If she wanted to anyway.  
                Silence came for a few minutes.  
                Seemed like she did want to talk anyway. "I was learning to cope with the fact that I wasn't who I told anyone I was… that I was a spy, instead of 'the girl next door'. I didn't work at a bank, hell I was in a different country every week." Her voice cracked a bit and she coughed slightly. "Then David died… then I found out about SD-6 not being CIA and everything." A tear finally fell out of her eye. Only one for now. "Then you came back. And right now I hate you as much as I can for taking the assignment."  
                Michael put his head down. His eyes would have shown that he was extremely hurt by her words. Hating him and all. But he picked his head up in time to hear her finish her ranting.  
                "But I can't. I can't hate you. That's what I hate the most. God, I love you too much."  
                Michael couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Neither could she, as two more tears stained her cheeks. He walked towards her, not sure what he himself was going to do. Before she could say anything else, take it back or whatever, he kissed her; hard.  
                Sydney's mind went blank. Her former rant was forgotten. She could taste the few tears she'd cried, and him. He tasted like peppermint toothpaste and the small sip of beer he had at Will's.  
                When they pulled away, they only did it for need of oxygen.  
                Michael backed away slowly, only two or three feet. "I shouldn't have done that." He whispered over and over again. __Shouldn't have done that.  
                "Why should you have done that?" Sydney couldn't say 'kiss me'. He'd done more then kiss her; without even knowing it. He'd helped her make up her mind about what she wanted most in this world; Him.  
                "Because I have a girlfriend. And you… you've got a fiancé. And I'm not even mentioning the CIA's rules and how-" He stopped short. He couldn't do this, he couldn't stand in front of her, having just kissed her, and tell her why they couldn't be together.  
                "Then why did you do it?" Sydney was finally getting her mind back as she wiped her cheeks; she quickly looked him straight in the eye.  
                "Because-" Michael sighed and felt as if his heart would break in two right there. He looked at her with a tender expression; she nearly melted at the sight.  "Because I love you too." He whispered. Sydney could practically hear her own heart pound in her chest. "And I hate that I can't spend a moment not thinking about you. That's why I wanted to go to Devlin. If I couldn't have you, then at least when thinking about you, I wouldn't have to worry about seeing you."  
                Sydney wished he'd stop. Every word he'd said made perfect since and she couldn't stand it. "Stop." She whispered, sending another tear down her cheek. "Stop making sense. Everything you've said makes sense." He moved closer to her, closing the distance between them. "This feeling doesn't make sense."  
                "Yeah, it does." Michael whispered before kissing her again. Now __that didn't make sense. Giving her all those reasons for why they couldn't be together, then kissing her. But hey, she'd told him to stop making sense.  
                Before anything else could happen, the phone rang, drawing them apart from each other quickly.  
                Sydney, trying to get her breathing under control, grabbed the phone. "Hello…" Michael listened as she turned her back to him. "Hi Danny…" His heart broke the moment he heard the name. "Yeah, I'm sure… oh, it's just a cold…" She was lying because of the kiss. The two kisses that never should have happened. Michael turned to the door as she tried to get off the phone. He leaned on the door frame, waiting, he had to see her face before he could leave.  
                "Yeah, Danny." She whispered. He could almost hear Danny speaking. "Love you too." She hung up the phone. There was nothing in her last three words. At least, there wasn't the emotion she'd just expressed in those words minutes ago.  
                Michael watched her expression dance from emotion to emotion. He turned and closed the door behind him.  
                Pulling his fortune from his pocket he let it drop face up on his porch, then got in his car and drove away.  
                "Soul mates always find each other."__  
  
I miss you_


	8. Get Over It

A/N – I know, I know how long it took! I am sooooo sorry!!! I just got serious writers block, then I was busy, then I decided I hated the first writing of this chapter, so I rewrote it. And now, so much times has passed that you guys probably forgot about it, ::sigh:: anyway, like I said, sorry.  
                There seems to be humor in this chapter. Or at least some. Some of the 'humor' is just stupid. Lol. Anyway, this… no, I'll explain at the end. So, go read._   
  
Be still  
Let your hand melt into mine  
The part of me  
That breathes when you breathe  
Is losing time  
I can't find the words to say  
I'll never say goodbye  
  
                __Get over it. Michael flipped his coin over and over in his hands. Thoughts on – you guess it – Sydney and their "little" revelations. And now, a week later, his mind was plagued with the idea of killing the person who thought of the words 'I love you'. Their meetings (the two that they've had since then) have been stressed and full of tension; worry of saying the wrong word, or making the wrong move.  
                __Love her. With that last thought he threw the coin at the wall hard enough to making a seriously loud 'bang!'.  
                "What the hell are you doing?" Eric walked into the office without knocking. His face was etched in confusion. "That sounded like a gunshot. And believe me when I say it freaked me out; I got shot remember?" His eyes followed Michael's to the coin. Sighing, he went to pick it up. "God…"  
                "Sorry." Michael rolled his neck trying to get feeling into it. He'd been looking at papers all day before taking up the coin, and his neck was aching. "Not a good day." __Not a good life.  
                "Well, don't  take it out on the coin… or the wall for that matter." Eric threw the coin back on the desk. "I mean, I never throw my yo-yo at the wall. Plus, it usually just gets you even more pissed off afterwards." He slid into the chair across from his friend.  
                "Yeah." __What are you? Are you reducing your vocabulary to one word phrases?  
                "This is about that girl… Sydney, isn't it?" Eric watched Michael avert his eyes to the desk; more specific, the coin. "Shit. Why don't you just go to Devlin and get reassigned?" He suggested.  
                Michael shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to do that. I'd worry about her even more than I do now." And just to get his point, he added in a sing-song voice, "Hell. __Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I'm not trying to lash out at you, or anyone else. It's just- hard." He shook his head again.  
                "I know man." Eric nodded.  
                (Silence)  
                "Where is she going now?" Eric finally asked.  
                "Back to France." Michael stood up and started to pace. "She leaves in half an hour." Taking the coin again, he flipped while he paced.  
                "Two things at once. Stop!" The phrase was final, and Michael stopped pacing and flipping the moment he heard it. Eric sighed, a little annoyed. "What are you going to do if she gets in trouble? What are you going to put yourself through then, huh?"  
                Michael looked toward his friend, then averted his eyes slowly. Sliding into his chair, he closed his eyes. But visions of him and Sydney when they were younger, them telling stories to each other, him leaving, their revelations, and their meeting two hours ago, made him open them right back up.  
                He threw the coin again.  
                "You're gonna break something next time." Eric picked up the coin again, but held onto it this time. "Did you tell Jackie about what happened when you took Sydney home?" He was asking out of plain curiosity.  
                "No. Because, you know Jackie, she'd tell me to break up Alice. And then, who knows, she might actually try to break up Sydney and her engagement. Jackie is not good with stuff like this. You remember her last boyfriend." He stopped short, shaking his head again.  
                Eric clicked his tongue and tapped his hand. After a minute of silence, he sighed and asked, "Well, are you going to break up with Alice?" Ever since _that night, _Michael had been avoiding any kind of date or "meeting up" with Alice, afraid he'd say the wrong words.  
                "We have a date for tonight." Michael leaned back in his chair. "But what am I supposed to say to her? _Sorry ___Alice__, I'm still in love with my high school sweetheart." He mimicked.  
                "If that works…" Eric smiled, then added, "You're just a sucker cause you want everyone to be happy, even if it makes you miserable."  
                Michael thought about that for a moment and then finally smiled._  
  
And I'll fly with you  
Through the night so you know  
I'm not letting go  
I'm not letting go  
My tears like rain fill up the sky  
Oh, my love  
I'm not letting go  
I won't let you go  
  
_                "Stop that!" Jackie yelled as she pushed Will's hand away from her. "I'm too ticklish!" She laughed and slapped him playfully. They were both sitting on the floor with pizza in front of them. Thinking suddenly, she turned to him and asked, "Have we ever actually sat on that couch?" She pointed to the couch.  
                "I don't think so." Will laughed and crumpled the piece of paper he'd been holding. Throwing it toward the trash can, he yelled, "Miss!" when it bounced off the rim.  
                "By the way," Jackie crawled over to the trash and picked up the paper. Holding it, she smiled. "From the way you described school," She let the paper fall into the trash can. "You sounded like such a teacher's pet."  
                Will raised his eyes brows, and the minute she was next to him again, he started to tickle her.  
                She hit him again, and laughed.  
                "You deserved it this time." Will leaned back against the chair he was in front of. "Teachers pet." He scoffed. Smiling again, he looked around his apartment. "This place is too small."  
                "Only one person. Not like you need the room." Jackie shrugged and stood up, taking their plates and cups with her.  
                 "You do realize that we've spent every night together since… god, more than a week?" Will asked as he also stood up.  
                They walked into the kitchen, and as she threw plates and cups in the sink, Jackie winked at him and asked, "Why? Does it matter? God a hot date you wanna bring home one night?" She turned away from him, and he came up behind her slowly.  
                Will watched her brown hair wave across her back. God, he wanted to touch it. __Stop that.  
                "Nope, no date. Only you." After that phrase, she spun around, which resulted badly since Will was right behind her. "Ow."  
                "Oh my God, Will." Jackie reached up and touched the spot on his chin her head had just hit. "I'm sorry." The look in her eyes was amazingly worried and extremely embarrassed. Which, for some reason, just made him want to kiss her even more.  
                "You're okay, right. I mean, it was your head." Will asked as he stretched his mouth. She shook her head. "God Jackie, I think you knocked a tooth loose."  
                "Ass." She muttered as she hit him softly, but he caught her wrist.  
                "What was that?" Will smiled as she made to hit him with her other hand. "I'd stop that if I were you." He warned her, but she hit him again, and he grabbed her other wrist too, bringing them both almost above their heads.  
                "You're no fun." Jack pouted, her bottom lip sticking out slightly.  
                Will watched her for a moment, just studying her. Her brown eyes were laughing, but there was something else in them. After the little hitting, her hair was now framing her face, a strand fell over her eye and down to the side of her lips. His eyes followed the strand down and then back up to her eyes, which stopped laughing and were suddenly serious. She licked her lips, and took a breath.  
                Like there was a magnet in him, he was drawn to her. Kissing her, he closed his eyes almost automatically. Her lips were soft and when she responded, he was ecstatic. Taking her hands, which were still in his, he put them behind his neck and then put his hands on her waist.  
                Pulling away slowly, Jackie bit her lip.  
                "Sorry, shouldn't of done that." Will repeated the first part over and over again.  
                "God, don't say sorry." Jackie immediately realized that they were still locked together; her hands behind his neck, his hands at her waist. Quickly, she pulled apart from him. "I sorta wanted that – I guess – Just-" She stopped short and ran a hand over her eyes.  
                "Just what?" Will asked, becoming a little worried over the idea of what she could say next.  
                "It's nothing." __Right, Jackie. She sighed and turned away, walking into the living room again, and muttering words in French that Will couldn't make out. But he specifically heard 'Merde' in there somewhere… a few times too.  
                "Nothing? Nothing doesn't make you pull away from a terrific kiss, Jackie." Will put a hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her around. But she brushed his hand away from her quickly. "Nothing doesn't make you spend every night here, and then when we both finally get what we want-" He stopped immediately when she turned around. "Don't say it's nothing, because it's not." Sighing, he watched her eyes, trying to figure her out. "Give me a clue, Jackie… please." He pleaded.  
                "I just-" Jackie paused, collecting her thoughts as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not good at talking, Will. Humor, really bad jokes, sure, but not serious stuff." Laughing weakly, she shrugged. "I just… I don't want to get hurt again." Thinking carefully about her words, she sat down on the couch and brought her knees to her stomach and rested her chin on them. "It's just a long story that I never like getting into."  
                Will continued to watch her eyes dancing around, trying to figure out what to do. He sat on the couch next to her, staring slightly. "Jackie?"  
                "Cliff notes?" She sighed and played with a tear on the couch. "I fell in love. He hurt me. Michael got him put in jail for a little while. We left." Shrugging, she finally looked straight at Will. "That's why I came here with Michael." Nodding, she muttered. "Like I said, I got hurt and I really don't want to again."  
                Will pulled her to him, her head resting on his chest. Silence._  
  
I saw the host of silent angels  
Waiting on their own  
Knowing that all the promises  
Of faith come alive  
When you see home  
Hold still and let your  
Hand melt into mine  
  
_                "Ok, I've known you for what? Two or three weeks, and here you are making dinner for me?" Eric laughed as Francie sat next to him, keeping an eye on the timer.  
                "Well, I've been getting only fast food since I met you. I thought I might as well cook on my own for a change." Francie hit him on the shoulder playfully. "Anyway, I don't know any good restaurants. Do you?"  
                "No." Eric admitted, still smiling. "But I couldn't asked Mike for one. He always knows the best." After their first official date, they'd exchanged their stories about Michael after Eric found a picture of the four of them as teenagers in her living room.  
                "So… did Michael tell you what happened after they left?" Her eyes were telling him that she knew something, but didn't know if he knew.  
                "Oh, just that they talked and then he went home." Eric looked straight at her, both of them questioning.  
                Silence.  
                Francie sighed. "I feel bad for everyone." She finally muttered. "I just… I can't stand that things ended up like this. I feel bad for Sydney and Michael because we all know that they love each other. I feel bad for Danny and Michael's girlfriend, because they both got caught up in the screwed up life that is us. And I feel bad for you, me and Will for having to put up with both of them when they're talking about each other." She finally ended and looked Eric in the eye. "Sorry, I just had to get that out." Laughing, she put both of her hands on the counter.  
                "It's okay. Believe me, you just voiced my thoughts too." He sighed and jumped slightly when the timer started to beep. Francie rushed over to it, and he started laughing. "Need help?"  
                And that's where the Sydney/Michael topic ended.  
                And hour later, the lovely 'couple' were sitting at the table, sipping wine and laughing when;  
                Suddenly, Eric's beeper started to vibrate. He looked at it and frowned, confusion etched on his features. "Can I used your phone?" He looked up at Francie.  
                Francie nodded and picked up the cordless. As she handed it to him, she asked, "What's the matter?"  
                 "I don't know." He dialed a number he knew by heart and listened to it ring three times, before someone picked up. "This is Weiss, I was beeped by Devlin, what's wrong?"  
                The man on the other end said a quick. "Hold on a moment, Devlin wants to speak with you Agent Weiss." Then he heard beeps and then a quick "Weiss." Before he started talking again.  
                 "Sir, what happened?" Eric looked towards Francie a mouthed that it was probably nothing.  
                 "Sydney Bristow never got on her flight." Devlin explained. "At first we believed Agent Bristow just missed it, but her partner, Marcus Dixon, arrived safe and on time at the airport." He paused, and Eric could tell he knew something that he was saying.  
                 "You're not telling me the whole thing?" Eric wanted to slam the phone down and go beat the guy, and he swore he would if Devlin didn't get his explanation finished in the next few minutes.  
                 "Jack went to speak with Dixon and when he came back, he said that Dixon had escaped Sark's men, but Agent Bristow hadn't." Devlin finished with a sigh.  
                 "Shit." Eric muttered and started to pace around. Francie watched the scene with interest as his pacing increased. "Why did you call me? This isn't my assignment, its Mike's."  
                 "We can't seem to reach Agent Vaughn, we thought that you could." Devlin said quickly. "And I suggest you both hurry here." Then Eric was met with a click that told him Devlin had hung up.  
                 "Shit." Eric repeated and looked at Francie. "I'm really sorry, but I have to cut our night short."  
                 "That's okay." Francie stood up and walked him to the door, closing it after he left. She walked over to the table and started to clean up, smiling slightly and shaking her head.  
                Suddenly the door opened quickly and Eric came back in, rushing over to her. "I forgot something." And with that said, he pulled her into a long, slow kiss.  
                When they pulled back, they were both smiling.  
                "Ok, now I really have to leave." He kissed her again, this time for two seconds, and then ran out.  
                Francie laughed and fell into the chair next to her, still laughing._  
  
And I'll fly with you  
Through the night so you know  
I'm not letting go  
I'm not letting go  
My tears like rain fill up the sky  
Oh, my love  
I'm not letting go  
I won't let you go  
  
_                Michael sat at the table in the restaurant where he was meeting Alice at. Wringing his hands together nervously, he practiced his short speech in his head, knowing that however many times he practiced it, it would not come out sounding the way he wanted. The misery of waiting added to it. She was fifteen minutes late, and at that moment he was terrified that if she actually got there, he'd blurt out, "Sorry Alice, we have to break up" and then run. Which wouldn't be so bad, considering…  
                "Hey, sorry I'm late." Alice put her jacket on the back of her chair and kissed him quickly. "It's just that Gina needed me for a little while, and we lost track of time." Smiling sweetly, she brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face as she sat down.  
                __Blonde. __Sydney__'s a brunette. Shut up!  
                "It's okay." Michael tried to smile; seriously _tried. _And he quieted the voices arguing in his head. "Why don't we order?"  
                Ordering was simple. Michael always knew what he wanted, though Alice on the other hand… well, I think you get the picture.  
                Ok, they talked. Well, Alice talked. Michael just sat there, occasionally he nodded or gave small, one word answers. Such as "uh huh" or a "sure" once in while. But that was about it.  
                "What's wrong?" Alice suddenly asked.  
                Michael looked up from his water quickly. "What makes you think something's wrong?" He mentally hit himself for his voice going a little too high pitched. He swore he heard a dog bark in the background.  
                __God, it's the look. He thought as Alice raised her eyebrow.  
                Silence.  
                "Are you going to tell me, or do I have to force it out of you?" Alice finally asked.  
                Michael watched her, then opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quicker than he'd opened it.  
                Short pause.  
                "This isn't going to work." Michael finally managed to get out. Alice got a shocked look on her face, but then it changed, he couldn't tell to what though.  
                "That's just it? We're over?" Alice asked, incredulously, as if she hadn't known this day was going to come.  
                "We've been over for a long time." He sighed, the words were coming out easier by the moment. Running a hand through his hair, he added, "You know that. We both have, but I guess neither of us wanted to believe it."   
                Alice laughed softly, but it sounded a little bitter. "I guess you're right. (Pause) Is this about that Saturday with Jackie?"  
                Michael looked up at her suddenly, shocked slightly. "No… yes, I don't know honestly. In a way, I guess."  
                Suddenly his cell phone started to ring. Looking up, as if asking for permission, he questioned her.  
                "Take it." Alice muttered as she took a sip of water. "I need a second to think anyway."  
                He looked at her a moment and then finally flipped his cell phone open and on. "Vaughn."  
                "Thank God, you answered. I know this is the whole breaking up dinner, but Sydney never got on her flight." Eric let out in one breath. Michael could tell he was in his car already. The tires were somewhat screeching and horns were honking everywhere.  
                "What? What happened?" Michael asked, worried beyond belief.  
                "They don't know." Eric's phone crackled with static slightly. "They couldn't' reach you, so they called me and gave me a cliff notes version."  
                "So, where the hell is she?" He was getting more and more anxious and extremely worried.  
                "We don't know. Just get your ass to the office and in a hurry." Another tire screech and then a beep telling Michael that he'd hung up.  
                "Merde." Michael muttered as he clicked the off button. Looking up at Alice, she had a knowing look on her face.  
                "Go, just go." Alice told him, motioning toward the door. She ran a hand over her eyes and shook her head; sighing.  
                Michael didn't pay attention to anything after that. He just jumped up and ran out.  
  
_Shed your heart and your breath  
And your pain and fly  
  
_                Michael looked toward Eric with a 'can we get the hell outta here yet' look. Eric just sighed and went back to listening to Devlin explain what they were supposed to do, though anyone could see he was as anxious as Michael was.  
                What was surprising to him mostly was that Jack was just sitting there as if it was just another agent, not his daughter. But of course, Michael knew what kind of father he'd been.  
                Hold it. Did Jack know about Michael being Sydney's ex-boyfriend?   
                Michael stopped thinking about everything, but Sydney, when Devlin finally wrapped up and pretty much told them to get going.  
                "He doesn't want to risk it." Eric was muttering as he followed Michael out of the office. "Five men are worth it, not-" He sighed and watched Michael get ready. "We don't even get a "bring her back safe, men" or even a freaking "thank you"." Ok, no response.  
                Jack watched the two men talk, or at least one of them was talking. The other was looking up, looking down, sighing and running his hands through his hair. Finally, Jack made his way over to them. "Good luck." He muttered and continued past them.  
                Michael snapped his head up and watched the older agent walk away, his back straight and stiff.  
                Eric just shook his head and muttered something unintelligible as he continued to get ready.  
                But Michael felt compelled to follow the man, and talk to him. "Jack?" He called slightly louder than intended to. "I just wanted to let you know that we'll get her back safely."  
                Jack sighed and nodded slowly. "I know you will. For some odd reason I have confidence in you." He was speaking in his normal "I don't know how, but whatever" voice (you know the one I'm talking about).   
                "Oh." The younger agent nodded, confused a bit, and then said, "Well, I just thought.. .well, she's your daughter." And that was added, as if Jack would show any other sign. "I know, I'm not in either a position or a rank to ask you this, but I'm just wondering if you ever get worried." Michael was shocked that he had enough courage to ask this, but it was too late to take it back now.  
                "Listen, Mr. Vaughn, I do get worried. I know you may think I'm a tin man who feels nothing, but with my daughter out there, in trouble-"  
                "I wasn't implying anything, I was just-"  
                "And I think that you should not have made a comment, considering you are my daughter's handler. And I'm not even including the fact that you were once an old boyfriend of hers." Jack barely snapped at him.  
                Michael looked somewhat shocked at the fact that Jack had known about Sydney and him, but never said anything.  
                "Yes, I knew Mr. Vaughn, but even though you may think that my daughter and I do not talk, we do. And Sydney's childhood is one of our many conversations." With that, Jack walked away a bit. Calling over his shoulder, "I believe you have a plane to catch!"  
                Michael stared at the back of the older agent, until Eric came up to him.  
                "Mike, let's go." Eric pulled him away.  
_   
Now you're alive  
Now you're alive  
Now you're alive  
Now you're alive  
  
_                Sydney played with her necklace. Not just any necklace. __Her necklace. The necklace that had been around her neck for almost ten years. Sark watched her closely, his eyes narrowed in slight confusion.  
                "I'll be back in a bit." His accent was heavy and the door slammed, a lock clicking in place.  
                Sydney watched the door, as if she could somehow open it using her eyes, because it was sure as hell that her mind wasn't focusing at the moment. Her necklace felt cool against her neck, but nothing had been done to it. It was like he was trying to be nice.  
                __Right.  
                On the other side of the door, there was muffled talking. Then suddenly a yell and a bang. Moving towards the door (because for some reason she wasn't chained down, considering…) she put her face against it, listening as kicks and punches were being delivered to someone.  
                Can we say confusion?  
                All of a sudden, Sydney's back slammed onto the floor. The door had been forced open and since Sydney's cheek had been against it, it ended with her on her back, holding her head.  
                "Oh my god, Sydney." The man who'd just entered rushed to her side. Her hand was still over her eyes, but the voice sounded familiar. "Are you okay?" The man pulled her hand away, and touched her cheek.  
                "What are you doing here?" Sydney opened her eyes and stared in shock as he took her hand to help her up.  
                "Devlin sent a few of use to get you. Don't ask, I can't really explain that part. All I can say is that I had a nice talk with your dad." Michael pulled her up and looked at her shoulder carefully, a scrape was visible. "Are you okay?"  
                Sydney nodded and looked straight into his eyes. After a moments pause, she spoke again, "Are we going to stand here all night and wait for Sark to come and shoot us?" That seemed to snap Michael out of his world, because he took her hand and they rushed out of there.  
                "Why did he want you anyway?" Michael asked once they had gotten out of the building.  
                Sydney shrugged and looked around. Playing with her necklace, she watched the trees move in the small breeze. "I don't know, but he did give me my necklace back." Pulling on it a bit, she showed him.  
                Michael's own hand pulled hers away from it, and he looked at it. Touching it softly, he looked at both the necklace and his hand that had started shaking uncontrollably.  
                "I'm wondering why Devlin sent you." She smiled slightly as he took his hand from her necklace. His other hand (that was still in hers) tightened slightly. "I mean, you told me once yourself, you're better at deskwork."  
                Whispering with a smile, "I think I should be insulted by that." His eyes traveled over her face to a cut on her forehead, all thoughts of being insulted left his mind. "God, are you okay? Where'd you get this from?" When he touched the cut, she cringed a bit, but kept still has he checked it over.  
                "Might have been when you opened that door." She laughed softly. Wincing again, she quickly took his hand away from the cut._  
  
Tears like rain fill up the sky  
I won't let you go  
I'm not letting go   
  
_                Michael stared at her, her head was bent watching their joined hands. He felt her hand move so that their fingers were linked. Her other hand was back to playing with her necklace. A necklace _he'd _given to her. A necklace _she _said was important t o her. Her brown eyes suddenly met his green. They seemed so… sad.  
                "Why'd you come and get me?" Sydney asked, pleading him to tell her the truth.  
                "I t old you, I wasn't going to let Sark keep you. And Devlin-" Michael started to say, but she stopped him quickly.  
                 "No. I want the whole truth." She watched his eyes dance from emotion and emotion. While she waited for an answer, she started to remember getting lost in those green eyes all the time. Even after he'd left, the one thing that stayed complete in her mind was that green.  
                 "I love you." He finally answered, snapping Sydney from her thoughts. "That's why I came. I love you." There was no shock in her eyes, or his. Hell, they'd both said those words to each other only a week ago. "Why'd you even ask? We both know that's why I came."  
                Sydney's thoughts trailed again and her head nodded unconsciously. "Guess I still don't believe it."  
                __Well, believe it. Michael wanted to yell, but instead he pulled her hand and started walking again. "Eric and the team are waiting in a truck a little less than a mile from here, so we better start walking."  
                So, they walked in silence, both of them in their own little thoughts of each other.  
                __Get over it. Was the thought of the day for Michael. But it wasn't the only one. Inside his head there was a whole battle going. __–Get over her- 'I can't, I love her' –Doesn't matter- 'She loves me too' –Get over it- 'Stop that'.  
                Sydney watched as Michael concentrated on his thoughts. Her own were too confusing, so she tried to tune them out.  
                 "I think we've only got another five minute walk until we're there." Michael turned to her, telling her the information. "Eric will probably have clothes for you, and the team was supposed to be trying to figure out why Sark kept you there. I just couldn't wait there and do nothing. Snuck out… I think Eric knew, but didn't say anything." Realizing he was babbling, he shut up quickly, but when he was about to continue walking, she pulled him back. "What?"  
                Instead of answering, she put her hands at the back of his neck and pulled him to her, kissing him like she'd wanted to since she'd seen him in Sark's building. Her arms flung around his neck. His went on their own, one to her waist, the other to her hair. Soft…  
                 "No." Michael pushed against her, making sure there was a small distance between them. "Sydney, I can't do this again. We can't kiss, because I can't get hurt again."  
                "It hurts for me too, you know." Sydney argued, then sighing, she shook her head slightly.  
                Pause.  
  
_I won't let you go_  
_I'm not letting go  
(Tears like rain fill up the sky)   
  
_                 "Tell me you love me." Sydney's eyes were dark, watching him, waiting for some kind of reassurance that he was as confused and freaked out as she was.  
                Michael swallowed audibly. "I love you. I've loved you forever, Sydney, I think that everyone in this world knows that by now."  
                Tears filled her eyes as she moved a bit closer to him, trying to close the space he'd created. There was a brick wall between them and she just wanted to take a hammer and get it down; brick by brick if she had to. "Then tell me that it doesn't hurt when you're not with me… not kissing me." The space was cleared, but there were still bricks needing to crumble.  
                "Hurts." Michael looked down at her, wanting to forget why he wasn't kissing her; forget why he wasn't holding her. "Hurts like hell. But that's not the point, Sydney."  
                "Then what's the point?" Sydney brushed away the tear that fell from her eyes. "Is the point to go on living without you, because that's the __right thing to do?" Suddenly, feeling her mouth was dry, she licked her lips quickly. "I love you. (Deep breath) I feel like I'm choking when I'm not with you." Biting her lip slightly as another tear fell, she tried to continue. "Danny's been gone for days now. But I can't focus on him. Instead… I'm thinking of you." Michael watched her, feeling like crying himself, but not wanting to fall apart. "And when he gets back, I won't be able to look at him, or kiss him, without wanting it to be you. And it hurts."  
                He watched her closely, registering everything mostly. "You think it's any different for me? I broke up with Alice because you plague my existence." His hands went to grip her upper arms. "And believe me, I've tried everything to get you out of my mind, but I can't." Searching for her eyes and finding her finally looking straight into his. "So, what can I do Sydney? Tell me, and I'll do it."  
                (And the last brick crumbled.)  
                "Stop fighting it." With that last phrase, she kissed him again. All protests were lost in the past, and his arms wrapped around her waist, as hers went to his neck again.  
                When they pulled away, Sydney whispered. "I love you. Don't leave me again. Please, Michael, just never let me go." Hugging him tightly, she almost smiled.  
                "Shh," He whispered as he stroked her hair, closing his eyes, reveling in the closeness. Rules could go to hell. And as much of a nice guy he sounded like, Danny would just have to find another girl, because Michael was holding Sydney now and he was never letting go.  
  
_I won't let you go  
_  
  
  
A/N (again) – So there you are. What I was going to explain above was that, I only have two more things to upload for this story. First is this weird song thingy. You know how people make those music videos for couples online and stuff? Well, I just took a song and put lines from every chapter (including this one) in between the lyrics. It's weird, but you'll see. This means you can just skip that part and go onto Chapter 9… technically an Epilogue, but whatever. And I mean that Chapter 9 ( the epilogue ) is the last chapter… isn't that so sad. I actually have Chapter 9 done, and the song too, but I wanna give you guys time to read this before I post those. Plus, I wanna look over them and stuff. Oh, and I think I'll say sorry one last time for getting this out soooo late! I'm sorry!_

                Oh, the song is "Fly" – Jars of Clay


	9. At The Beginning you can skip

A/N – I suggest that you download "At The Beginning" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis from the Anastasia soundtrack and listen to it while reading this. It's just those lyrics and then quotes from the past chapters. It's weird.

You can completely skip this if you wanna.  
  
  
_We were strangers   
_("Oh, God. Sorry, I was trying to find my way around…")_  
Starting out on a journey  
(Those eyes… the green sorta burned into you.)__  
Never dreaming  
("Oh, I'm Michael Vaughn.")__  
What we'd have to go through  
("I'm Sydney Bristow")__  
Now here we are  
(They're just crushes)__  
And I'm suddenly standing  
(Michael smiled at her and she saw a twinkle in his eyes.)__  
At the beginning with you  
  
No one told me  
(Michael put his arm around her, to hold her up.)__  
I was going to find you  
(He walked her home that day.)__  
Unexpected  
(He chose me.)_  
What you did to my heart  
_(They stayed like that for a minute. Just kissing like there were nothing more normal for them.)_  
When I lost hope  
_(God, he's even sweet when I can't understand him.)__  
You were there to remind me  
("Honestly I don't know what I was going to say…")__  
This is the start  
  
And life is a road  
("What's wrong with you?")_  
And I want to keep going  
_(He just got her name out before she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him.)_  
Love is a river  
_('Mother' 'car' 'sister's home' 'Aunt' 'hospital')__  
I wanna keep flowing  
("She was in an accident.")__  
Life is a road  
("She's not gonna make it.")__  
Now and forever  
("I love the rain.")_  
Wonderful journey  
  
I'll be there  
_("I hate the rain.")_  
When the world stops turning  
_(She felt like a little kid waiting to see if her father would say yes to her getting a toy.)_  
I'll be there  
_(They decided they are going back to San Francisco.)_  
When the storm is through  
_("I hate this.")__  
In the end I wanna be standing  
(Michael laughed softly and put it around her neck against her will.)_  
At the beginning with you  
  
We were strangers  
_("Keep it, and wear it." Michael kissed her.)__  
On a crazy adventure  
("I love you.")_  
Never dreaming  
_(A heart with I love you written in it---And Michael's signature next to it.)_  
How our dreams would come true  
_(I'll always love him.)_  
Now here we stand  
_("Joey's Pizza?")_  
Unafraid of the future  
_("Wrong number.")_  
At the beginning with you  
  
And life is a road  
_("Sydney?!")_  
And I want to keep going  
_(Then he stumbled back a little, almost falling over, but he caught onto the fence again. Straightening up, he blushed from the little show.)_  
Love is a river  
_(Trying to get comfortable in the awkward situation.)__  
I wanna keep flowing  
(Was he supposed to bring up the past?)__  
Life is a road  
(It was like they were back in high school, back in her room, reading and practicing French (in more ways then one, _wink wink_))_  
Now and forever  
_("I hate this warehouse.")__  
Wonderful journey  
  
I'll be there  
(It was amazing how she could still make him smile and laugh with just a movement.)_  
When the world stops turning  
_(Well, she had been a normal teenager, with a normal life. Now she was just paying the price for all that… normalness.)__  
I'll be there  
("Why me?")_  
When the storm is through  
_(Yet, when they started talking they were back in 'tell each other everything mode' as if they'd never missed a day together. She wished they hadn't.)_  
In the end I wanna be standing  
_(He'd sent a few letters to her, and she'd done the same to him. But that didn't last.)_  
At the beginning with you  
  
I knew there was  
_(His glorious unmoving, non-emotional, doesn't-have-the-ability-to-talk, no past desk. - He loves his desk.)__  
Somebody somewhere  
(He could even picture her writing the letters to him, or talking on the phone, and pushing her hair back behind her ear.)__  
Like me alone in the dark  
("World to Michael.")__  
Now I know my dream will live on  
(Sydney slapped his shoulder playfully.)__  
I've been waiting so long  
("I had a good teacher… you.")__  
Nothing's gonna tear us apart  
  
And life is a road  
("I never got that hug did I?!")__  
And I want to keep going  
(Her eyes shone in the darkness of the warehouse.)__  
Love is a river  
(She held him a little tighter, afraid he would disappear… again.)_  
I wanna keep flowing  
_("Try actually doing the mission and you'll see what it's like for the spy.")_  
Live is a road  
_("The clasp to my necklace broke.")__  
Now and forever  
("Exactly the same.")__  
Wonderful journey  
  
I'll be there  
(Both wished they really could go back in time.)__  
When the world stops turning  
("When you relinquish the desire to control your future, you can have more happiness.")_  
I'll be there  
_("I don't know what to say.")__  
When the storm is through  
("But I can't. I can't hate you. That's what I hate the most. God, I love you too much.")_  
In the end I wanna be standing  
_(He'd helped her make up her mind about what she wanted most in this world; Him.)_  
At the beginning with you  
  
Life is a road  
_("Because I love you too…")__  
And I wanna keep going  
("This feeling doesn't make sense.")__  
Love is a river  
(Soul mates always find each other.)__  
I wanna keep going on  
  
Starting out on a journey  
  
Life is a road  
(Get over it.)_  
And I wanna keep going   
_('Sorry Alice, I'm still in love with my high school sweetheart.')__  
Love is river   
(Touching it softly, he looked at both the necklace and his hand that had started shaking uncontrollably.)_  
I wanna keep flowing  
  
In the end I wanna be standing   
_("I feel like I'm choking when I'm not with you.")_  
At the beginning  
_(Michael was holding Sydney now, and he was never letting go.)__  
With you_


	10. Epilogue

**One Year Later**  
  
                Sydney leaned back on Francie's couch. "No, I never said that." She argued with Will, who had his arm wrapped around Jackie. And she was leaning into him rather comfortably. Both of them were sitting on the floor, while Francie sat across from them, in front of the couch Sydney was on.  
                "Yeas you did. I swear. Just last month you said, 'I will quit my job at the bank, once Danny falls in love with Gwen.'" Will pointed a knowing finger at her. Danny, and Gwen, who were sitting on a chair close to Will and Jackie, laughed.  
                "Well, how was I supposed to know Danny and her would fall in love? They hated each other then." Sydney reached over and slapped Francie on the shoulder when Francie snickered.  
                "So, now you have to quit." Francie laughed again and dodged the next slap she'd known was going to come.  
                "Off the work topic, please." Michael said as he walked in from the kitchen. "I've got another three days left of my vacation, please don't ruin them."  
                "How nice of you." Jackie hit her brother on his leg, but he dodged it and walked towards Sydney.  
                When he sat down next to her, she stretched so that she was leaning happily on him. "We're missing someone." He noticed as he glanced towards Francie on the floor.  
                A knock on the door made him smile as Will got up to get it.  
                "Sorry I'm late. Work's been hectic without Mike around." Eric gave his friend a 'high five', and then went to sit with Francie. "What'd I miss?" Francie pecked him on the cheek.  
                As everyone filled him in, laughing once in a while, Sydney looked around at all her friends.  
                First there were Francie and Eric. They were happily engaged and currently living together. Which that took a while since Francie had debated with Sydney about it. And Eric had debated with Michael about it.  
                Will and Jackie were the ever loving couple; almost more sickening than Michael and Sydney. And everyone knew they couldn't live without each other. They were no longer 'partners' at the office, but saw each other there every chance they could get.  
                Danny was happy as ever with Gwen in his life. Somehow, Gwen knew how to make him smile, like Sydney never could.  
                And Michael. _Her Michael. The love of her life – her handler – her best friend – her high school sweetheart. There were so many ways to describe his role in her life, but none of them came close to how she felt about him.  
                "What're you thinking about?" His voice in her ear was enough to make her shiver.  
                "You." She smiled at the look on his face. "I was just thinking that it's been a year since the 'hectic events that brought everyone together'." They both laughed softly.  
                "Are you gonna say that every time we mention it?" Michael kissed her cheek as he spoke in a whisper.  
                "You are the one who called them that first." Sydney nudged his arm. "I remember specifically, last week we were talking about-"  
                But Michael cut her off. "I remember." He laughed and then sighed. "Do you wanna take a walk?" He linked his hand in hers as she nodded. They both stood up, him pulling her up. "Guys, we're gonna go for a walk." Michael let go of her hand to go grab their jackets.  
                "Ok, have fun." Francie called as Sydney grabbed her bag and followed Michael out the door.  
                After she got the jacket on, he took her hand again.  
                As if inspiration struck, Michael smiled. "Come on." He pulled her hand to the left.  
                "Where are we going?" Sydney laughed as he pulled her from street to street, never stopping once.  
                "You'll see." He pulled her close to him, but they kept moving. "I always had this nagging memory. One of you telling me your favorite place." He pulled her through a small wooded area and then stepped back for her to view where he'd taken her. "I finally remembered."  
                "The park!" Sydney squealed and smiled. She hugged him tightly, "God, I love you." She yelled. He spun her around quickly. "Swings." She walked over and sat down on the first one. Michael stood in front of her, pushing her slightly.  
                "Syd?" He smiled down at her and bent so that they were at eye level. "Open your bag." He told her.  
                She complied and opened it; looking inside it, she saw the blue notebook that had been a big part of her life at one time.  
                "I put it in before we left." Michael smiled. She'd let him read everything in it countless times during the past year. "Open it."  
                Sydney did and flipped to the last page she'd written in.  
                __-I'll always love him.-  
"Turn the page." Michael watched her fingers softly flip the page over to the next one.  
                Sydney's eyes skimmed the almost blank page until they landed on his neat scrawl in the middle.  
_                Will you marry me?_  
Looking at him quickly, he smiled sweetly and her heart jumped. She leaned over and kissed him softly. "Yes." She whispered.  
                Before she could do anything else, he pulled her off the wings and kissed her, hugged her, and kissed her again. Just plain loving her.  
                The notebook flew to the ground, closing and landing with its cover facing the sky.  
                In the bottom corner, a neat little heart with the signature Michael next to it said __I love you.  
                But up at the top, taped there, was fortune from a fortune cookie:  
                __Soul mates always find each other.  
  
A/N – So, how was that? I'm sorry, but I could not get rid of Danny… so instead, I had him get someone else. I just couldn't get rid of him. Alice however has probably moved to some far away place (maybe the moon, lol)  
                Anyway, Memory Book is now finished. God, now I'm sad. Lol. Please review and tell me if you want some kind of sequel… I posted at SD-1.com and they said yes, so I wrote a prologue and when I read it over, I thought it seemed a little confusing to anyone who's not writing it, lol. But if you want me to post a sequel then review and tell me._

                Ok? So just, review.


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